Mind Over Matter
by Sayla Ragnarok
Summary: Ever since Jack discovered the Autobots it's rare for him to be completely alone. Between school and his job it's also rare for him to have nothing to do but when he does he doesn't spend it like most teens. Instead, he goes out to his secret place in the canyons where he practices mind over matter, literally.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, the story is my original idea, but I don't own the characters.

Transformers Prime

Setting: before Operation Bumblebee.

Mind Over Matter

Prologue

* * *

It was a hot day in Jasper, then again it's always hot, let's try again. It was your typical day in Jasper-no that's not right either, let's be honest then.

Jasper, Nevada was an unassuming speck on a map, a pit stop for tourists out to see the sights. It had a school, a few stores for food and other essentials, a few warehouses, and a small hospital. Being fifty miles from any other town, that might have had the slightest bit of entertainment, it was also extremely boring.

Like any desert town it was always hot by day, cool at night, and it hardly ever rained-okay that's enough about the town, it's small and boring. Or is it? You see the one thing that Jasper did have, that could have made it exciting, wasn't even known to the people who lived there. Except for three kids and their little dog...alright they don't have a dog keep your skirts on Dorothy. Sheesh.

It was a secret only the three knew, just two boys and a girl, and the government.

The girl Miko, the spunky, outgoing, usually-in-trouble exchange student from Japan, lover of rock metal music and dune hopping, was never afraid to speak her mind.

Rafael, or Raf for short, is a twelve year old child genius, whose hacking and computing skills could be counted on to save the kids bacon once in a while. He could also oddly understand spoken binary, and while he loved computers, he also liked building things, and was secretly a racing junkie, but don't tell his mother that.

Jack, the last of the three was the oldest as well. He lived with his mother, goes to school, and had a job at one of the few fast food joints in Jasper, to help out at home. He was quiet, respectful, also a racing junkie (don't tell his mother), and an all around nice guy.

He also had a motorcycle.

This was no ordinary motorbike, at first glance it might look fancy, with a beautiful dark blue color scheme, but it was also alive and one of the secrets the children kept. Not long ago you see, the children met beings who, if the world at large knew of, would confirm that there is life among the stars.

They are called Autobots, a faction of living intelligent machines, whose goal it was to seek justice for all beings, and protect all forms of life, great and small. For the Autobots were at war with another faction, called the Decepticons, who desired power, and the destruction, or enslavement, of all things. Together, they made up the Transformers of Cybertron.

So what are they doing on Earth? Well, if your reading this, you should already know that, and we don't have time for all the important details, my coffee break's in five minutes. Suffice to say, the long war destroyed Cybertron, Earth is their knew home, and three human children are their friends. Got it? Good.

Now what does this story have to do with all of this? Nothing. Now, go away...alright fine. Jack Darby is our daring hero, about to get into some adventurous mayhem, save the day, get the girl-okay, okay, I'll stop you guys can put the hammer down and/or other tools of murder.

Truth is, for all Jack Darby isn't, there is much more he is. He's not just a kid who's friends with alien robots, not just a boy who has the respect of their leader, Opitmus Prime. More than a young man thrust in the middle of a war he shouldn't have known about. Jack Darby has secrets, secrets unknown to his friends. What secrets you ask? Well, let's find out.


	2. Chapter 1 Out in the Desert

Chapter 1

Out in the Desert

* * *

It was just before sunrise, and all through the town, not a creature was stirring, not even a-Bleeeep I spoke too soon.

Jack groaned as he rolled over and shut off his alarm.

Why had he set it again? It was a Saturday, there was no school, and he was off work too. Oh right, he and Arcee were planning on spending the day hanging out, riding through the desert, and seeing a few of the nicer spots around Jasper. Still, he rolled back over, not yet ready to greet the day, as the sun continued to peak over the mountains. The peaceful morning didn't last as his cellphone broke the silence. Sighing, Jack shifted until he could stretch over to reach it, on his bedside table, getting tangled in his sheets, and almost falling out of bed, in the process.

Fumbling with it a moment he opened it and answered, "Hello?"

"Morning Jack." Came Arcee's voice. It was cheerful today, Jack could tell, and also full of amusement.

"Sleep well?" Jack rolled his eyes out of fondness and annoyance as he replied, "You did that on purpose."

Arcee laughed, "I thought you'd like to get an early start on our desert explorations, but if you want to be lazy and stay in all day I can just-"

"No, no I'm up!" Jack interrupted getting out of bed and looking for some clean clothes to wear. "I'll meet you in the garage in a bit."

"Alright, I'll be there soon." She assured him.

"How was the mission last night?" He asked.

The Autobots had discovered another of the Decepticon's energon mines, after the kids went home, so Optimus called everyone in to destroy it. Jack had wanted to go with, but his mother, June, was home early and put her foot down.

"Successful." Arcee said and began telling him all about it.

Jack listened as he got ready and had some breakfast. He hmmed and gasped in all the right places internally wishing he had been there to help. He knew the Autobots would never take him on such a mission and he'd be stuck at the base, more or less twiddling his thumbs, but he still wished he could do more to help them. Well, technically he could, but he wasn't about to let either faction find out about that, and besides, he'd promised his mother he wouldn't bring any attention to it.

"That's great, Arcee," He told her when she'd finished, "And I'm glad no one was hurt, but it sounds like it was too easy." he finished in concern.

"Sometimes it's like that. A mission comes along you think should be difficult but isn't. And it wasn't a very big mine so don't worry too much." She replied, "It was just one of those days."

"Been studying your Earth adages, I see" Jack stated around a mouthful of toast.

"Hmph, I'll have you know that-" A beeping from her comm. interrupted the rest she was about to say.

"Hold on, it's the base." Arcee was silent as she listened while Jack waited tense. Was it the Decepticons? What were they up to? Finally Arcee came back on.

"Jack?" She sounded disappointed.

"I'm here, what's wrong?" He asked expecting bad news.

"Trouble, the Decepticons are causing a stir." She replied

"Is it bad, should I come with?" Jack wondered.

"No, Optimus thinks it's a small retaliation for last night. He's going after them with Bumblebee, I'm supposed to fill in for him and patrol, which means I'll have to-"

"Cancel our plans." Jack finished.

"Yeah." Now she sounded resentful and Jack didn't blame her, he felt the same. He also felt bad for Arcee he couldn't imagine that she and the other Autobots had very much down time, before they came to Earth, so times spent relaxing were taken advantage of as much as possible.

"So rain check, then? Tomorrow?" He asked hopeful.

"Sure. I'm sorry about this Jack."

"It's not your fault, it's the Decepticons." He stated with conviction. Arcee chuckled a little, "Next time I see them I'll be sure to give them a schedule so they can time their plans to give us free days accordingly."

Jack smiled and laughed a bit at her joke feeling heartened by her thoughtfulness, "Thanks, Arcee, I'll see you later."

"Alright, Jack, and try to have some fun today, don't let the Decepticons spoil it." She advised.

The two said goodbye, and Jack closed his phone and cleaned up his breakfast remains. He looked around wondering what he could do today. It was still early, most of the town wasn't up yet, and there wasn't much of it that would occupy him for long. His mother was at work by now and he wasn't really interested in the TV either. He tried calling his friends to find out what they were up to.

He called Miko first, and sat at the table waiting for her to pick up, finally he heard a hello as someone answered.

"Hello, Miko? Oh, sorry Mrs. Willis. I'm Jack, Miko's friend. I was wondering if she'd like-grounded? Oh, okay, thanks anyway, sorry for bothering you. Goodbye."

Then he tried Raf, surely with Bumblebee away he'd want someone to hang out with. Raf answered the phone but he didn't sound too good.

"Hey, Raf, did you want to do something today? You're sick? Are you okay? Oh, I see. Yeah, sure hope you get better soon. Okay, bye"

Great, the Autobots were busy and his friends were otherwise out of commission. What was he going to do all day, sunbake? Jack looked at the clock, it was only 7:30, he turned his head to look out the window, to see the mountains, and grinned at a sudden idea. He went out to the garage and checked his bicycle, making sure it was in working order, then went and grabbed his backpack. He emptied it of schoolbooks and stuffed it with a few things; a cooler with sandwiches and water, a few cans from the recycle bin, and an old notebook with extra pens. Seeing he had everything, he rushed out to his bike, opened the garage door, and sped off down the street, not realizing he left his phone sitting on the table.

* * *

Megatron was not pleased, he was less than not pleased, he was furious. That was nothing new, but his soldiers still cowered expecting him to turn his wrath on them at any second.

"Why? Why do the Autobots continue to elude me?" He raged. Knockout was stupid enough to open his mouth.

"Well, Lord Megatron, perhaps they've gone and taken a vacation somewhere." He said. Megatron looked at the mech his red optics smoldering. The two Vehicons behind him wisely backed away as, in the next moment, Knockout hit the wall of the command deck after being punched by his leader, who roared with seething fury.

"Imbecile!" Megatron shouted, "Only last night the Autobots attacked one of our energon mines, or did you conveniently forget about your little sojourn this morning, that cost me some of my soldiers? Did you think I wouldn't find out?" He glared at the sports car who gulped and tried to save face.

"M-my Lord, I had intended to draw out the Autobots so that you could have the pleasure of seeing to their destruction after their capture." Knockout tried convincing him.

"Would it not have been better then, to have informed me of your idea, before you carried it out, behind my back, and with MY Decepticons?" Their leader hissed, "Who is in charge of this army, Knockout?"

"You are, sir." Knockout gulped again as Megatron loomed above him.

"Then see to it that next time you remember it." Megatron growled

"Yes, sir." he said, and vented in relief, as Megatron turned around and walked a few feet to the control board.

"And Knockout?"

Said mech tensed before inquiring, "Yes, Lord Megatron?"

"I will not tolerate insubordination under my command. So the next time you attempt to subvert my authority," He turned his head so his red optics could stare menacingly at the medic, "I will personally see to your dismemberment." He finished, turning to look at the computer again.

Knockout felt a shiver go through his frame, and vowed not to make that mistake again, for Megatron could be unpredictable at times, but if he made a threat he made sure to keep it. He observed the goings on, on the command deck, and noted the absence of one con in particular.

"Where is Soundwave, my lord?" He carefully asked.

"I sent him on a scouting mission while you were busy entertaining the Autobots." Megatron replied surprising the sports car behind him.

"To what purpose, if I may ask?"

"To my purpose, Knockout!" Megatron snapped, "If I decide you need to know then you will be informed, but not before. Now get out of my sight!"

Knockout decided then it would be safer hiding in the ship's lab for a while, while the silver mech cooled down.

After he left, Megatron continued watching the display, which showed a live video feed from Soundwave, as he observed the landscape, searching for something of use that would aid his leader in the ongoing war. Not knowing he would find something, a discovery that would both shock the Decepticon leader and please him to no end.

* * *

Tire breaks squealed as Jack reached his destination. He was in one of the canyons several miles outside of Jasper. The sun was steadily moving across the sky, but had not yet reached its peak, as Jack stood his bike on its break close to one of the walls. He took a water out of his bag for a drink before moving off on foot. He soon came to a crack in the cliff, that only a human could fit through, and walked down it a ways, before it opened up into a wide area.

Jack had discovered this place a while back, when he was looking for a place to practice, he had gotten caught up in his exploration, when he found it. A hidden oasis. It was shaped like a bowl with the cliffs enclosing it all around, but the sides had been weathered out, providing some shady places to relax. Some water gushed out of one wall, traveled to the other side, and out of sight, and there was grass, even a few flowers growing.

The young man smiled as he looked around at it. It had been a while since he'd come here, his old target stands, made from piled stones, were still there just as he'd left them. The little patch of garden he had cultivated was clear, but had withered some, he'd see to that after he got in some target practice. He set his bag down, in a nice shady spot he knew would stay like that for most of the day, and got out the old cans and notebook.

The cans he stood on the rock piles, some had more than one stacked on top of each other, others were set in rows in a zigzag pattern, but he left some extra cans scattered on the ground in front of him. He stepped back to survey his work, and set his notebook beside him on a table like rock, before beginning.

Jack stood before the targets and closed his eyes, using the breathing exercises he was taught to calm his mind, before opening his eyes, and focusing on a can that lay to his right. It wobbled a little, until it suddenly leaped, aiming for a stack of cans. It knocked the top can off making Jack frown.

"Aim's a little off." He said to himself, "But then, I haven't used them like this in a while."

Yes, Jack had not used his abilities so outwardly in a long while. It was a secret he kept from everyone, his mother knew, but even she didn't know the extent they had grown. If people found out that Jack was psionic, not just telekinetic, they would think he was some sort of freak. He didn't tell anyone, not even the Autobots, whom he trusted more than normal humans, he knew if he did the Decepticons would find out somehow. So he kept his mouth shut and made extra effort not to do anything strange around them.

However, on occasion, when he went with them on some of their missions, he was able to use his powers in small ways. Such as the time scraplets had overrun the base, he had used his cryokinesis to freeze more of the little piranhas, while the fire foam cloud obscured him from view. Or the time Silas had kidnapped him, he'd used his telekinesis to snatch his radio, little things like that. The one time he had to openly use his powers, he was on Cybertron trying to help Optimus, who had forgotten he was the Autobot leader. Some scraplets thought to try chomping on the metal parts of his astronaut suit, when he shocked them away with his electrokinesis. He'd wanted to use them, on the ones trying to eat Vector Sigma, but didn't want to cause any further damage at the same time.

Really, it was a wonder that, with Cybertronian scanners as advanced as they were, he hadn't been caught. Yet. Jack knew if you had a secret to keep eventually it would get out, it's how he lost his father, something he didn't like to talk about.

Jack kept up his practice, moving from telekinetic to pyrokinetic, adjusting his control, and improving his aim, all while making notations in his notebook on his progress. Flames seemed to flow out of his palms as though they weren't hands, but dragons breathing fire. The more he focused the thinner the stream became, making the fire burn hotter, when it struck a can causing it to melt.

He moved through his different kinesis abilities unaware of his silent audience.

* * *

From Soundwave's live feed, Megatron observed, as the human used powers he'd never seen before on his makeshift targets. How was this possible? Humans were weak pathetic creatures that he could easily squash between two fingers. Yet this one, was not only producing elements from seemingly nowhere, but controlling them with a fair amount of skill.

"Soundwave, identify that human." Megatron commanded. He didn't wait long, before an image came up, of the Autobots three human pets, and the one male with dark hair was highlighted. Megatron's optics widened with astonishment.

"It's that boy!" He exclaimed then grinned darkly, "Is this then the reason Optimus chose you? Did he know?" He pondered. Megatron chuckled deeply as a plan began to form in his mind.

"Soundwave I want that human alive bring him before me unharmed!" Megatron ordered. As the spy moved into position to snatch the teen, Megatron commented to himself, "Whatever your strange powers I will have them for myself. Even if I have to open you up to discover all your secrets."

He laughed insanely knowing the creature was doomed.


	3. Chapter 2 I Spy

Chapter 2

I Spy

* * *

This was more than a typical day for Soundwave. Where usually he would be on the Nemesis monitoring the ship; easy, or the human world wide web; ridiculously easy, or the Autobot comm. signals; only easy half the time, here he was on a scouting mission for a change. Really, it was nice to get off the computers and out into the field once in a while. On this particular occasion, Megatron had him scanning the desert around Nevada, for something he could use against the Autobots. It was really just a mission for some new ideas, as Megatron wracked his servos for a plan, in Soundwave's opinion, not that he'd ever voice it to his face, or at all. He wasn't a suicidal mech.

The Decepticon spy combed over every bit of desert he could see from his vantage, mindful of any nearby Autobots, knowing they worked out of some hideaway in the area. With a live feed being sent to the Nemesis, Soundwave pondered the situation. After Prime had escaped, Megatron had been in an horrendous mood and the silent mech wondered at what made him the most upset; his failure to kill Optimus, or that a human was able to ruin all his plans. He supposed Starscream's return hadn't helped, that seeker had more lives than a cyber cat.

Technically, Soundwave would be on the Nemesis, at a time like this, working on deciphering the Iacon Database, but Megatron had revenge on his servos. So here he was listening for Autobot signals and snooping around. Sometimes he wondered about his leader's priorities.

He was over Jasper now, where those human children lived. After he had snapped their pictures, he'd followed it up with a back ground check, for future reference, he wouldn't be a good spy if he hadn't. Starscream hadn't cared for the information, dismissing the humans as useless and unworthy of his time, the fool, it had cost him eventually. Megatron, on the other hand, kept the information for possible use in some of his plans, but hadn't made any moves yet. With the Autobots keeping an optic on each one it wasn't wise to try and kidnap them, and so far, they were never left alone where the Decepticons could get to them.

Soundwave continued his silent musings, as the scenery gave way to the cliffs and canyons, when he flew past Jasper, a flash out of the corner of his optic caught his attention. He slowed his speed and changed course carefully scrutinizing the landscape where he had seen it. Soundwave saw the flash again, and turned his visor upon it, zooming in for a closer look. There was a human bicycle, standing next to the canyon wall, just where the sun reflecting off its metal frame could catch his optic. He supposed it was just one of the flesh creatures, out for what they called a hike in the mountains, but he decided to check around anyway.

He dropped closer to the ground combing the area slowly when he saw it. In what he thought was just a shadow on the cliff, proved to be an oasis. It was small enough that, if he hadn't been focusing, he wouldn't have seen it, but big enough for him to stand in comfortably. He could see a human standing in it now, facing what looked like targets, panting slightly. Soundwave watched curious, the human, a male he noticed, didn't have any weapons to hit the targets with, yet there were signs they had been. How was he doing it? The mech wondered.

He soon had his answer.

The human took a breath, like he was preparing, raised his arm, and suddenly ice shot forth from his hand and struck one of the cans that were set up. Soundwave felt like off lining in that moment, due to shock, but he shoved it violently into the back of his processor, knowing Megatron was still watching and would be very interested in this new development. Besides which, it would have been far too embarrassing for the master spy to off line due to emotion. He did have a reputation to keep.

He dropped down, and landed somewhere out of sight, where he could still observe, as the human displayed another power, this time it was fire. He soon heard Megatron's voice crackle over his comm.

"Soundwave, identify that human." By the undertones in his command the spy could tell his leader was as shocked as he was. He zoomed in on the human's features and recognized him instantly, as one of the children the Autobots protected, Jack Darby, if he wasn't mistaken. He sent his findings to Megatron feeling like off lining again. Of all the creatures on this planet, one of the most unique had to be one that had been under both theirs and their enemy's noses the whole time, and the Decepticons had thought them useless. That was a kick in the aft.

His comm. crackled again, "Soundwave I want that human alive bring him to me unharmed." Said mech silently wondered what his leader's face looked like right now, no doubt full of glee.

First things first.

The Decepticon spy headed down into the canyon towards the boy's mode of transportation. It was an ordinary bike, but Soundwave wouldn't take any chances, so he disabled it. Next he found the entrance to the oasis itself and blocked it with a boulder. Then he moved up to the top of the canyon, completely silent, and snuck towards the child's hideaway.

He peered in and saw the human was cooling down and about to take a break.

Now was the time to grab him.

* * *

Near the end of his practice, Jack began to get a feeling of foreboding. It wasn't exactly foresight, but Jack always got them when something bad was about to happen. The feelings weren't always about him either, as he tended to get them frequently around the Autobots, just before a mission went wrong, but better to be safe, so Jack decided a break was in order. He used water from the spring to cool down as he looked around alert for any trouble. Not seeing anything, he grabbed his notebook and a sandwich from his bag, and sat down to eat and review his notations.

Unaware of what was sneaking up behind him.

Jack yelped as something wrapped around him, and snatched him up. Since he had been practicing, he reacted out of reflex and zapped whatever it was. The thing dropped him and he whirled around, while backing up, and saw Soundwave's tentacle like extension, as well as the spy himself.

"A Decepticon?" Jack exclaimed in fright. _'Oh no,'_ He thought, _'How long had it been there!?'_

He reached around for his cellphone, and panicked when he couldn't find it, suddenly wishing Arcee was here, secret or no secret. He dodged, as the Decepticon took another swipe at him, his mind whirling at super speed for a plan. He needed to get out of here, but the only exit was behind the current problem, which was really bad, now that he realized, he should've picked a place that had two, in hindsight. He dodged again, and found himself being backed further into the wall behind him. Jack knew this was bad, his worse nightmare come to life, so out of sheer desperation he lashed out. He pushed the spy out of the way, with his mind, and shocked him with electricity for good measure, then made a dash for freedom.

Or so he thought.

* * *

The shock the human gave him was weak, probably from the practice, so Soundwave quickly shook it off and tripped him. He fell hard to the ground stunned, and the Decepticon spy wasted no time knocking him out. With the human unconscious, Soundwave gently picked him up examining him, marveling a little that this fragile being could channel such power. Satisfied that the human would be fine, the silent mech checked the surroundings, for anything else important, and saw the book the boy had been reading. The spy carefully opened it, noting the tiny scrawl and its depictions of the child's capabilities, and picked it up as well to take with. Then he transformed, with his cargo secure, and blasted off back to the Nemesis.

Where Megatron waited.

* * *

Arcee was on patrol feeling a bit miffed. First, she and Jack had to cancel their plans, due to the Decepticons making a racket, for her team destroying their energon mine. So she had to fill in for Bumblebee while he went with Optimus to take care of it. Then after they got back, Bumblebee had been injured, so Ratchet had him stuck at base until he recovered, which meant she'd be filling in Bumblebee's patrol hours for the next three days. So much for that rain check, she'd promised Jack, she only hoped he was having a better time than she was.

Her comm. beeped, it was Ratchet.

"Arcee to base. Go ahead, Ratchet." She said. What could be wrong now?

"Arcee, we've detected a Decepticon signal close by. About five klicks east of your position." Ratchet told her. "I'm sending you the coordinates."

"I'm on it." She quickly changed course.

"Be careful, call me if there's any trouble." The line switched off, and Arcee raced to the place the con was last detected.

She soon found herself tearing through some canyons, and whipping around the last curve, she transformed armed and ready. Arcee had arrived at an area that was very plain looking like any ordinary crack in the earth. She checked the cliffs for signs of ambush, detecting nothing, she lowered her guns and walked forward, alert, and commed Ratchet.

"Are you sure a Decepticon was here?" She asked.

"Absolutely certain." The medic bot replied

"I checked all the equipment yesterday. There shouldn't be anything wrong with it." At that moment Arcee heard a crash over the line and the next instant Ratchet was shouting, "Bumblebee! I needed that!"

She couldn't help rolling her optics as she replied, "Whoever it was they aren't here now, but I'll look around a little just to be-"

She stopped suddenly, as she rounded a curve, and spotted a bike lying on its side, one of its tires laid next to it. She knew that bike, she'd spent enough time in its owner's garage right next to it not to recognize it. With a sudden ominous feeling she tuned back into the comm. line, as she hurried closer to the manually powered vehicle.

"Ratchet, I need you to scan for Jack's location." She ordered tense. Ratchet waited till the scan finished to ask what was wrong.

"The scan shows his cellphone is at his location of residence, but he's not answering my call. Arcee what's going on?" The red and white mech demanded in concern.

"Jack's bike is here." She stated. The medical officer's eyes widened and he felt more than saw Optimus come stand next to him.

"Status report." The Prime commanded, everyone behind him were listening now.

"The bike's been sabotaged and there's no sign of Jack. Optimus I'm not picking up any life signs." Arcee felt she might break down at that, she couldn't stand it, if she'd lost another partner to the Decepticons.

"Easy Arcee," Opitmus's voice soothed reigning her in, "Check the area for further clues, I'll send someone to Jack's home to be certain, we cannot jump to conclusions."

"Right." The Autobot femme hardened her resolve.

"Keep sending us updates, Arcee." Ratchet's voice was back, "I'll begin scanning for Jack's life signs."

The team worked quickly and efficiently. Optimus sent Bulkhead to the Darby residence as Arcee searched. Bulkhead found no one there, and it didn't take long for Arcee to find the oasis, with a human backpack, and what she thought were signs of a firefight. The area was a mess, with the ground tore up, and there were scorch marks everywhere. Their discoveries only confirmed what she feared; Jack was not home, he was not safe, and she had no idea what happened to him.

Optimus called them in.

When she arrived, she saw both June Darby and agent Fowler there. June was crying into the agent's shoulder and Arcee couldn't help the sting of guilt she felt, which soon turned into a simmering anger. Whatever the Decepticons had done to Jack.

They. Would. Pay.


	4. Chapter 3 Building a Plan

Chapter 3

Building a Plan

* * *

Megatron was pleased, more than pleased, when Soundwave successfully brought him the Autobot's human pet, the one with powers. What was his designation again? Jack wasn't it? Yes, and it was the very same human that had ruined his chances of destroying Prime, when he was at his weakest. Oh, he was going to take very great pleasure harnessing the boy's strange power, and he couldn't wait to see his expression, when he was used against the Autobots.

If Megatron wasn't such a disciplined mech, he'd be leaping about the laboratory, hands in the air, and cackling like an idiot. As it was, with Knockout and Soundwave standing behind him, as he examined the human male for himself, it just wouldn't do. Perhaps later, yes, in his quarters, when no one could see him. First though, there was something he had to do.

Turning to his master spy he said, "Soundwave, feel free to treat yourself to some energon. You have earned that right this day."

And he had too, in the years that the silent mech had been with them, he had proved invaluable, doing more than a full army of his finest Decepticon warriors, in all conflicts with the Autobots, combined. Who said Megatron didn't reward a job well done?

"Knockout," The red mech turned to him, "Prepare to examine our guest. I want him alive, however, so take precautions, or you'll be answering to me."

"Yes sir, Lord Megatron." The speed loving medic replied, "I'll just start with some basic tests. Do you have anything in particular you'd like to request?"

Megatron eyed the boy laying on the examination table, "Bring me a copy of his brainwaves. I have something special in mind for him."

Knockout grinned devilishly and bowed, "As you command, my Lord."

* * *

Arcee was pacing.

She couldn't help it, she was too worried about Jack. Back and forth she went, from one side of the command area to the other. In the human space beside the main computer, Jack's mother, June, was doing the same thing, worried for her son. Soon the sound of an engine could be heard from the entrance, as Bulkhead and agent Fowler pulled up, with Miko and Raf.

"I know why you're doing this," Fowler began when he got out, "But I still say we should've left Raf at home, kid about threw up on me on the way over." He finished, as June came over and led the poor boy to the couch to lie down, covering him with a blanket.

"You'd of deserved it too." Bulkhead muttered.

"Hey, what'd you say big guy?" Fowler rounded on him, "You trying to start something?"

"Maybe I am, tiny!" The wrecker snapped.

"Bulkhead! Stop it!" Miko cried, but neither listened, caught up as they were.

"I thought you had people to watch the kids if we couldn't!" Bulkhead was shouting now.

"Well maybe we would if MECH wasn't busy tying up every agent we had!" Fowler defended, also shouting.

"Blow it out your aft!"

"BULKHEAD!" It wasn't Miko this time, it was Optimus. The humans jumped, they'd never seen him angry like that before.

"Enough, both of you. You're fighting does not help Jack's situation." He stated firmly. The two looked down chastised while the kids were curious.

"What do you mean Optimus?" Raf spoke softly trying not to irritate his stomachache. Miko looked at everyone, carefully noting that Arcee was now leaning by the corridor doorway, brooding, while fiddling with a device.

"Where's Jack?" She asked with worry.

"The Decepticons took him." Arcee growled, crushing the device in her hands.

"Arcee," Ratchet started, "I-" She gave him a look, he closed his mouth and shut up.

Miko again looked around at everybody.

"Well what are we doing here? Let's go bust the cons and rescue him!" She pumped her fist into the air. Bumblebee, across from her, smashed his fists together, whirring in agreement.

"It's not that simple." Ratchet began, "Jack left his cellphone behind at his residence and went off into the canyons. Why he went, we don't know, but there was a Decepticon in the area who managed to take him without any witnesses-"

There was a bang as Arcee hit her fist against the wall behind her, before Ratchet continued.

"My scans of the place could not pick up Jack's signature and if he was taken to the Nemesis, without his phone, I have no means of tracking him." Ratchet finished sadly shaking his head.

June stood up with tears in her eyes, "There must be something you can do to get my son back!" She strongly protested.

"Mrs. Darby," Optimus gazed at her with determination, "Though we have no means of tracking Jack's location, there are other ways of finding him, and I will not rest until he is brought home safely to you."

"But in the mean time, the Decepticons could be doing all sorts of things to him!" Miko cried out in horror.

"Miko! Not helping!" Bulkhead said glancing over at June and their brooding femme member warily.

June appeared equally horrified, but unsurprised. Really, she'd known what it could mean for her son to be involved with them, and had determined to accept it. Arcee though, she seemed too lost in thought to have heard.

"Jack is strong, and we will find him, but we must have a plan." Optimus steered them from the topic, they didn't need to dwell on the cruelty of the Decepticons right now.

"I could help." Raf braved sitting up.

June gently pushed him to lie down, "You need to rest or you'll make it worse." She said with care.

"It's just my stomach that hurts." He said firmly sitting up again, "I can still use my mind, because I'm not just going to sit here while Jack is in trouble." He stared at her with conviction, pleadingly. June sighed in defeat.

"Alright, but I don't want you to strain yourself too hard." She said, "The minute you start feeling sick again I want you to stop and take a break. Understand?" Raf nodded his head happy she was letting him help.

"So how can I help?" Miko inquired.

"You will have to stay here." Ratchet told her seriously.

"There's no telling if the Decepticons had plans to kidnap you and Raf. What you can do however is clean up while you stay out of trouble." He handed her a mop and bucket, hoping it would keep the reckless girl busy.

He hoped in vain.

* * *

Jack groaned as he came to.

He must have hit his head because it was pounding. He tried opening his eyes, and shut them again, the bright light around him stinging them. Where was he? Was he at the hospital? He opened his eyes again carefully. The room was blurry and might have been spinning too, he thought it looked big as well.

He sensed something beside him and, as his vision cleared, looked up into the face of terror.

"Hello, Jack." Megatron was grinning down at him.

"I hope you enjoy our hospitality. We wouldn't want you to leave unsatisfied." He leaned towards the teen, teeth showing, in a leer. It hit Jack then. He knew where he was. He'd thought when Soundwave found him, without his protector, that that was his worse nightmare brought to life.

He was wrong.

The nightmare was just beginning.


	5. Chapter 4 Making it Happen

Chapter 4

Making it Happen

* * *

Knockout was busy in the Nemesis med bay, finishing the final touches of Megatron's new device, when said mech walked in. He'd sent him the human's brainwave scan results, first thing, and received an outline of the device he was holding now. Using the rest of the data he'd collected, from other scans and a few blood tests, he was able to construct and carefully craft a mind control band.

"Is it ready?" Megatron demanded.

"Yes, and to your exact specifications." Knockout said, as he handed his leader the device, feeling pleased with himself.

"Excellent." Megatron gazed at the small ring, fitted for a human head, in his hand. "And our patient?"

"By my estimations he should be waking soon." The red mech said, turning to the small creature occupying the examination table. Indeed he was beginning to stir.

"Good." Megatron stated, walking to stand beside the berth, so the youngling would have no trouble seeing him. He set the plain looking silver band over the dark haired head, and watched as it warped, and shrank, fitting snug like a crown, it wouldn't be coming off now. The human groaned, opened his eyes once, then quickly shut them, and opened them again carefully.

Knockout observed as the boy's eyes cleared, saw as he recognized the Decepticon leader, and watched as the fear, when he realized his situation, was buried under an expressionless face in an attempt at bravery.

"Hello, Jack." His leader took sadistic pleasure in getting a reaction from the human as he leaned in leering at him, "I hope you enjoy our hospitality. We wouldn't want you to leave unsatisfied."

The human's facial color faded a bit, an effect of fear, if Knockout remembered correctly. Still, the boy seemed to find some inner strength, as he gazed at the Decepticon leader fiercely.

"Whatever it is you want, Megatron, I'm not giving it to you." He growled, it was cute really, as the sports car watched in amusement.

The Decepticon leader chuckled, "My dear pet, you won't have to give me anything, because I already have it."

The human recoiled slightly, his eyes widening in understanding, then narrowing in a second.

"We'll see about that!" The child snapped.

He brought his small hands together, and as the two mechs watched, one in anticipation the other in wonder, lightning gathered between them. Just as it was about to be thrown, Megatron spoke.

"Heel, boy!"

* * *

Jack yelped, as sudden pain lanced through his head, at Megatron's command. It faded quickly, but caused him to lose concentration, and the electricity between his fingers disappeared. His skull hurt from the pounding before, and that shock hadn't helped, so he reached up trying to sooth it. His fingertips brushed metal, and he felt his heart stop, as he felt out what it was. A metal band encircled his head, it wasn't uncomfortable or too tight, but it wouldn't come off with the few tugs he gave it.

"You will not attack your master." Megatron hissed sternly. Jack looked up at him in defiance.

"The slag I won't." He shouted, and tried gathering energy again.

Nothing happened.

Jack couldn't help staring in confusion, "What?" He stuttered looking down at his hands.

Megatron grinned gleefully and turned to the mech behind him, "Knockout, you've outdone yourself." He said, and Knockout bowed.

"Thankyou, Lord Megatron." He replied gratefully, "As you can see whatever command you give him he can't disobey, a slave worthy of you."

"Not yet, no. But soon he will be." Megatron laughed aloud and Jack backed away in terror. Where were the Autobots? How was he going to get out of here?

_'Optimus,'_ Jack thought desperately.

_'Please, help me!'_

* * *

As Miko took her time mopping, she watched the activity around her. Raf, Ratchet, Optimus, and Bumblebee had put their collective heads together passing and rejecting plans back and forth. Agent Fowler was on his cell, pulling strings with his contacts, in an attempt to use human means to locate the Nemesis. Bulkhead was over trying to comfort June and he would glance in her direction now and then knowing how annoyed she was, and Arcee was wandering the base.

The Japanese girl glanced at the mop she was using in frustration. Miko knew she couldn't exactly contribute, she didn't understand Cybertronian systems or computers as much as Raf, and even though she could have given a few ideas, with the speed the three mechs and human boy were going she couldn't have kept up for long. She looked at the four again, their rapid fire conversation had long gone over her head. She turned her gaze towards Fowler, she didn't have anyone she could call for aid, although it looked like he wasn't getting any results either.

Big surprise.

Glancing back at Bulkhead, he seemed to be doing well talking with June, keeping her distracted. Miko sighed, she understood the mopping was Ratchet's way of keeping her busy, so the waiting would be easier, but it made her think too much and that made it worse. She stared off down the inner corridor of the base, where Arcee had gone, she didn't think the femme bot should be alone right now.

Miko looked back at the command room before a determined expression crossed her face. She set the bucket and mop aside and went searching for Arcee. Because the base wasn't very big it didn't take long to find her. The motorcycle femme sat on some crates, staring at the floor, lost in whatever world had captured her attention.

"Arcee?" The femme glanced up at the human female.

"I know you're worried about Jack." Miko climbed up on the boxes and sat beside her. They stayed like that in silence for a moment.

"I should have brought him to the base or with me. At least then I'd know he was safe." Arcee stated berating herself.

"And Jack should have remembered to take his cellphone when he left." Miko countered, the femme bot looked at her in surprise.

"Truth is," The girl sighed, "You can't blame yourself and you can't even really blame Jack. You can't think about the what ifs." The femme bot continued to stare at her so she continued, "When Bulkhead almost lost his memory because of me I did that even after he was fine. I couldn't get over the guilt and it was driving me crazy."

"What did you do about it?" Arcee couldn't help asking curiously, she hadn't thought Miko still felt that way afterwards. The outgoing girl was always so energetic.

"I let it sit until my mother asked me about it, my real mother." Miko said.

"I asked her, how do you get over feeling guilty after you hurt someone you care about?" Miko gazed up at her.

"She said, 'By way of forgiveness, tender love and care, and thinking of what you can do for them when they need you." She finished.

Arcee's optics widened, and her mouth opened in amazement, as she thought about it. Miko was right, and her mother was right, Jack did need her and she wasn't doing him any good sitting here consumed by her thoughts. The femme bot looked at the female beside her.

"Thank-you, Miko." She said, and stood up. "Come on, let's get back to the others."

When they arrived, the group had assembled around the main computer, they looked up as the two walked in.

"There you are." Ratchet said, "I was just about to call you. We're ready to begin Optimus." He passed attention to the Prime who took a breath before beginning.

"As you all know, our human friend, Jack, was kidnapped by the Decepticons earlier today." Was it really just that morning? It felt longer to Miko.

"After careful considerations and planning we have devised a way to retrieve him." Optimus continued, "I am going to call Megatron out. Ratchet, Bulkhead, and Arcee will accompany me to face him."

"So how is this going to work?" Miko asked,

"We're going to try slapping a tracer on one of the Decepticons so they'll lead us right to their ship." Ratchet held up the bug in question, a tiny disk, with a transmitter in the center, no bigger than his two fingers.

"Are you sure this will work, Prime?" Fowler asked.

"Megatron will not ignore a direct challenge. His pride as a Decepticon won't allow it." The tall mech assured.

"So we'll call him out, and when he shows up, we put the snitch on him, I like it!" Miko exclaimed.

"But I do not." Ratchet said as he turned to his leader.

"Optimus, you know this plan is extremely risky and if it fails Jack will have no hope of rescue." Miko didn't like the sound of that and felt an idea take hold of her. She stayed quiet though, the Autobots wouldn't approve she knew.

"I know well what I'm asking you all and the risks involved, but this is the only plan we have, that won't endanger everyone more than necessary." Optimus gazed at them all a flame of determination in his optics.

"And we must not fail. For Jack's sake."

* * *

Megatron stood back from the human before him, grinning smugly, with satisfaction. After ensuring his forced obedience, the mech began programming the boy, with commands that would ensure his loyalty to him. Now, he had finished, and his unwilling human pet was ready for a field test. Soundwave walked in just then.

"Ah, Soundwave what news have you for me?" Megatron asked. The silent mech's visor switched to an audio stream played on an open frequency.

"Megatron," Prime's voice came through, "I know that you are listening and I know what you have done. I am calling you out to face me to answer for your crimes."

Megatron smiled wide, all teeth, as Soundwave's visor plate displayed location coordinates to somewhere in the desert.

"So, Prime seeks to challenge me, does he?" Megatron glanced in Jack's direction, "I think it time I revealed my little surprise." He chuckled.

"The fool won't know what hit him. I can't wait to see the shock on his face, when he falls at my feet, thanks to you, my pet." He patted Jack's head.

The poor boy could only watch with sinking dread.

* * *

**AN: I'm evil, mwuahahahahaha :)  
**


	6. Chapter 5 To Strike at the Heart

Chapter 5

To Strike at the Heart

* * *

Optimus stood in the desert, with Arcee and Bulkhead on either side of him, waiting for Megatron to arrive. Ratchet was sitting in a covered position off to his left, awaiting his chance, and Bumblebee was back at base watching the kids and two adults, while manning the ground bridge.

The Autobot leader ran through the plan in his head one more time, as he watched his surroundings.

When Megatron came, they would wait, let him run his mouth, distract whatever forces he had with him so Ratchet could slip the tracer on one of them, then bridge out. Simple, not too complicated, and hopefully successful without any unforeseen complications. Jack's life depended on it.

A ground bridge opened in front of him and he felt his soldiers tense, and raise their weapons. He prepared himself, as Megatron stepped out, followed by some of his Decepticons, who fanned out beside their lord. There was Breakdown, Knockout, and Airachnid, followed by a handful of soldiers.

The two opposing leaders stared at each other. Megatron had a smug look that told Optimus the silver mech had something up his armored mechanical gyros, which put the Autobot leader on edge. The Decepticon lord seemed a little too compliant with the way things were going, what was he up to?

"So, Prime is this the place you've come to to die?" Megatron wondered looking around, the area was open but not without cover, if he had tried to set up an ambush the Autobots would have seen it coming from where they stood.

Arcee couldn't stand it.

"Where's Jack?" She demanded.

"Jack?" Megatron said in obvious fained confusion mocking her, "Now why does that name sound familiar?"

The femme bot growled.

"Hold your position Arcee." Optimus ordered he stared hard at Megatron feelings of protective anger coursing through him.

"One of your men kidnapped a young human named Jack. Where is he?" He asked as patiently as possible. The silver mech sneered, causing warning signals to sound in Prime's processor.

"Ah, do you mean this Jack?" The Decepticon leader stepped to the side revealing their friend behind him.

"Come forward, boy." He commanded.

Optimus frowned as Jack stepped forward and stopped next to Megatron. Something was wrong, if the boy had been behind them he should have had ample time to escape. Arcee, on his right, took a step towards her partner concern in her optics.

"Jack?" That one word carried several meanings at once. Was he alright? Was he hurt?

Jack glanced down ashamed, knowing it was coming, he couldn't look at her as Megatron spoke to him.

"Go on, Jack." The double meaning in his voice wasn't lost on the human, "Don't you want to return to your friends?"

As Jack walked towards them, Optimus tensed further, there was something eerie about the way he was following orders, something so very wrong. He noted the metal band around Jack's head and his optics widened.

"Stay back!" He commanded his team and stepped cautiously forward, one optic on the Decepticons, the other on the human before him.

"Jack?" He questioned.

The boy raised his head and stared into the Prime's optics. His face was full of anguish and he was shaking as though fighting himself.

It happened then in an instant. Optimus staggered back in pain, crying out, as electricity raced through his frame. The other Autobots could only react in shock, as lightning danced between Jack's hands, and Megatron laughed with glee in the background.

"Decepticons, attack!" He shouted.

"Come, boy!" He ordered the teen.

Optimus saw Jack run back to Megatron, and tried to follow, when Knockout stood in his way. The red mech leered at him as they traded blows. Arcee took on Airachnid, anger coursing through her frame, as the two of them fought viciously. Bulkhead battled Breakdown, the two hammering punches into each other. While Ratchet made his way over to Megatron, who was standing with his men watching the fight, as the soldiers around him took pot shots at the Autobot team.

Ratchet blasted some of the Vehicons, reducing the amount of fire his friends were under, and tried to confront the Decepticon leader directly, but was blasted back by Jack. Megatron turned to him.

"Well, if it isn't the Autobot medic." He sneered, "Do you like what I've accomplished with your little friend?"

The red and white bot looked closely at Jack with intense worry and alarm on his face. He could see tears in the boy's eyes, shame for hurting him, and anger for being forced to do what he was. Ratchet was outraged.

"What have you done to him?" He shouted.

"Oh, he's just no longer your human pet and belongs to me now." The Decepticon leader goaded.

Ratchet stood up with his blaster pointed at Megatron.

"The slag he does!" He roared and was about to fire, when Arcee let out a war cry and, from out of no where, attacked the mech savagely. She punched, and clawed, and scratched doing her best to maim the Decepticon lord. She gave him a particularly nasty scratch across his faceplate before getting thrown off.

Megatron stood up with a snarl, his blaster aimed at the Autobot femme, about to waste her. Ratchet was distracted by the rest of Megatron's soldiers and couldn't fire. Then Knockout crashed into his leader, ruining his shot which went wide, and Optimus stepped forward having thrown the red mech like so much garbage.

"You've gone too far, Megatron!" Optimus said strongly, that protective anger for his men and their human friend flowing freely through his wiring.

"On the contrary, Prime, I don't think I've gone far enough!" Megatron rejoined, "You didn't even know, yourself, just how special the boy was, but today you'll see just what my newest soldier can really do."

"Attack the Autobots!" He ordered the young human.

Jack, being forced to comply from whatever compulsion his headgear used, took a stance and cut loose. He formed fire in one hand, and ice in the other, and blasted the two elements at his Transformer friends. The two streams flew past them with a roar, as they dodged, leaving a trail of frost and burning sand in their wakes.

Arcee tried using her speed to get close, dodging and flipping around Jack's electric strikes, but then he grabbed and picked her up, with telekinesis, and tossed her frame into a boulder. She lay there unconscious.

Bulkhead stepped forward with his arms raised.

"Jack, don't make me do this." He pleaded.

His friend's reply was to encase him in ice and electrocute his massive frame. The poor wrecking bot collapsed, too stunned to get back up.

Ratchet backed up, when Jack turned to him next, but Optimus stepped in the way, using a downed Eradicon to take the brunt of the electric shot.

"Optimus, what are you doing?" Ratchet cried as his leader was hit indirectly.

"If we're going to save Jack we have to do what we came for." The Prime grunted lowly.

"Right." Ratchet resolved, "I'm ready."

Optimus threw the dead frame aside and the two of them moved in sync, avoiding Jack's fire blasts and jumping over him, towards Megatron and what soldiers he had left standing. The Decepticons fired at them, but the two mechs weaved in and out of the shots. They were almost close enough to implement their plan, when something invisible snagged both their legs and pulled. The two Autobots crashed to the ground.

"No, the tracer!" Ratchet cried as it slid and skittered across the ground away from him.

Towards Megatron.

"So this is what you had in mind, is it?" The silver mech looked down at the small device and crushed it beneath his foot, to the horror of his enemies. He gazed up at them, the two Autobots in the back were recovering and standing up, while his own men stood in various stages of disrepair.

"Pathetic." He said raising his fusion cannon to fire.

Optimus quickly comm-ed the base for a ground bridge as he and Ratchet took cover. The others soon joined them, while engaging the Decepticons, as they closed in.

"Autobots, retreat." He ordered as it opened.

He kept up suppressive fire as first Bulkhead then Arcee, who looked back once more, went through. Optimus looked back at Jack, as she had done, just as Ratchet left. He could see the tears the boy had tried so hard to hold back fall, as he stepped through the swirling gate.

He vowed with all his spark that he would find a way to rescue him.

* * *

Megatron stared after the retreating Autobots in triumph. He may not have destroyed them, but he and his men had dealt them a crushing blow, with his experiment. He turned and called his pet to him and patted him on the head. He took sadistic pleasure in the evidence he could see in the boy's face, of the pain he felt, even as he glared at his master. Served him right for undermining his plans.

The Decepticon leader smiled in satisfaction and called for a bridge to his ship. He stepped through, his men behind him, and his pet at his side.

He didn't see the small figure that followed them.


	7. Chapter 6 To Dig into the Mind

Chapter 6

To Dig into the Mind

* * *

Jack had never felt so miserable, in his entire life, as he stepped back onto the Nemesis.

_'They'll never forgive me.'_ He thought, as he stared at everything morosely. He couldn't believe how quickly Megatron's commands took hold of him after the mech's reprogramming session.

_'You will protect your master, when you are not actively attacking the Autobots, or until I dismiss you.' _

He could remember clearly the pain in Optimus's optics as he shocked him with electrokinesis. The surprise and betrayal in Bulkhead and Arcee's as they watched their leader stumble back. The hurt he'd felt when he returned to Megatron to guard him.

_'You will attack the Autobots, when they are near, especially Prime. You will not warn them before you do so.'_

Jack really wanted to fry Megatron for that one. Making him walk close enough to Optimus, unable to tell him to stay away, so that order would force him to react. Ratchet's face when he'd been hit later, swam through his mind, and Jack closed his eyes trying to swallow around the lump in his throat. He wondered if the snarky medic would ever trust him again.

_'You will hold nothing back when you are ordered to attack.'_

He was glad his fire and ice attack had missed, if it had hit anyone, they would have been engulfed entirely. Still, something inside of him had died, after what he did to Bulkhead and Arcee, and the fear in Ratchet's eyes when he backed away, Jack never wanted to see that again. This is exactly why he had kept his powers a secret in the first place, he didn't want to be feared.

_'You will make no attempts at escape or sabotage. You will not contact or talk to the Autobots. You will inform me of any and all Autobot intruders.'_

Those three orders made him feel especially miserable. After he'd ruined the Autobots plan, and they were forced to leave, he'd desired nothing more than to run after them. To be back at the base with his friends. To see his mother again. To be safe. To be free again.

If they came looking for him, on the Nemesis now, he'd have to betray them. Jack wanted to protest these orders strongly, but Megatron kept him on a short leash. Like a dog.

_'You will address me as your master. You will do so with respect. You will obey only me.'_

"Master?" Jack absolutely hated to say it, but it got the mech's attention.

"May I be dismissed?" He requested, and held his breath as Megatron studied him.

"Yes, you may." He finally said, "After Knockout checks you over in the med bay. You will stay on the ship."

_'You will submit to every examination, approved by me, without a fuss'_

Jack was picked up by the designated medic and carried to the infirmary.

He couldn't help glancing at the Decepticons as they passed. Breakdown looked like he'd had a good beating from Bulkhead, there were a lot of dents in his armor. Megatron had scratches all over him from Arcee that had Jack grinning at the time. Knockout had some scrapes and dents, and was muttering about what it would take to fix them. Airachnid, on the other hand, Jack was pleased to see, appeared the most tore up out of the rest, too bad he wasn't allowed to finish her.

_'You will not attack my Decepticons, unless they attack you, or I order you to do so.'_

Actually, he was a little grateful for that one. He wouldn't put it past the spider bot to attempt something behind Megatron's back, she was devious that way, after their second encounter proved. He wondered if the others might attempt something the longer he was here. Breakdown wasn't interested, Knockout maybe if he got in the way, and Soundwave was a complete mystery.

The red mech set him down on the examination berth when they arrived. He watched, as the con set up the computer's scanner, when he caught a shadow moving out of the corner of his eye. That had looked like...but it couldn't be, could it? Jack quickly acted like he hadn't seen who he saw, behind the crate by the door, they weren't an Autobot now were they, and he didn't have to report non Autobots. A sudden idea came to Jack as Knockout brought the scanning device over.

"Who made this thing anyway?" He asked, fingering the band around his head he added some flattery for good measure, "It must have been a clever bot who designed it."

"That would be me." Knockout preened.

"Really?" Jack looked him up and down, "I guess it's not all that impressive then."

"You little-I'll have you know I'm one of the best designers on this ship." The sports car puffed up with pride.

_'That is debatable'_ Jack thought.

"Then how does it work?" Jack prodded. Knockout stared at him smugly.

"It uses frequencies to alter you're impulses, utilizing voice recognition, so you become an unwilling, but loyal, servant to the one the device reacts to. In this case, Megatron." He stated.

"Frequencies?" Jack wondered in confusion. The red mech brought up a display on the medical computer.

"You're tiny brain gives off signals," Knockout tapped his head lightly, "These signals can be translated or influenced through simple, wave length frequencies. For each impulse or thought you have your brain's wave lengths change."

"This device," He tapped the metal band, "Reads and translates those wavelengths, and then designs counter ones, based on the voice commands you've been given, but doesn't disrupt your natural thought processes."

Jack watched the display as it simulated what the Decepticon was saying.

"If we tried to force you, to actually think or feel differently, that would kill you. However, even when you want to rebel, your mind tells you 'no' and this new impulse is designed to be stronger than your own will." The red mech stated dramatically.

"So, in other words..." Jack started.

"It's all in your mind." Knockout finished.

Jack had to sit back and think about that. So, that explained why he still had his own thoughts, his mind was overriding his body's desire and emotions in favor of following instructions. It was like it had been downloaded with new instincts, the same way breathing was instinctive, he couldn't just stop.

It didn't matter how much he fought then, he realized.

The teen felt another feeling of depression sink in at that, as he was set on the floor. He wandered through the ship caught up in his thoughts. He wondered how the Autobots would rescue him. He wondered if he would see his mom and friends again.

He wondered what they were doing now.

* * *

The Autobots were silent when they returned to base.

Arcee felt her spark would break.

Her partner, Jack, had been turned against them, and somehow that was worse than if she had lost him. To see the hurt on his face, when he attacked them, was just as hard as watching the pain on Tailgate's had been, when they were tortured. So she'd attacked both Airachnid and Megatron with a fervor which, if she was honest, scared her.

She wished not for the first time he hadn't been dragged into this.

* * *

Ratchet thought he'd seen everything from the time they'd been at war.

He'd patched up and repaired numerous Cybertronians and always despaired when they weren't saved in time. This was no different. For the first time in a long while, however, he'd felt a strong compassion to save another life at the cost of his own. So when they'd failed, and had to leave Jack behind, he'd felt torn; angry at Megatron for his audacity, angry at himself for failing to place the tracer when he had the chance, and dread for the teen and his situation.

He was frustrated like he hadn't been before.

* * *

Bulkhead looked around, for that familiar face he'd do anything to please, but didn't see the twin ponytails in the room.

"Where's Miko?" He asked, Bumblebee beeped.

"She's still sulking." Raf translated.

"I'll go find her, then." Bulkhead said, and lumbered down the hall slowly.

He could not get over the whole problem with Jack. The young man was a good kid and didn't deserve having something like this happen to him, being Megatron's slave.

Megatron.

Bulkhead had to reign himself in from slamming his fist into a wall. The next time he saw that fragger he was going to pound his faceplate in until his processor caved. There would be a next time, too, because they would get Jack back.

Now, where was Miko?

* * *

Optimus watched as the wrecker left.

Not for the last time did he feel he had failed his team. Failed himself. Failed Jack. He'd watched many Transformers get ripped apart on the battlefield, because of the war, because of his decisions. It pulled at his spark every time, but nothing had touched it more than the tears on Jack's face, as they'd left.

Forced to leave him at the mercy of Megatron.

"Optimus?" He found it difficult to look in June's eyes. He had promised her he would bring her son back, and now, he didn't know if they could.

"What happened, Prime?" Fowler stood next to June to comfort her, Optimus knew she would need it, as he began. Their eyes as well as Raf's, who was behind them on the couch, widened as he told them, until June finally began crying as Fowler placed an arm across her shoulders.

He felt his spark tear apart all over again.

* * *

June couldn't stop her tears as she heard the news.

Her only son had been forced to obey a monster and hurt his friends with his powers. At first she'd been shocked he was using them, or that the Decepticons had discovered he had them, but that quickly gave way to the rendering in her heart. She knew they would have to explain now, but to hear that the plan to track the Decepticons themselves had failed, devastated her and only added to her sorrow. How would they find Jack now?

Would she ever hold her baby again?

* * *

Fowler could not believe his ears as he listened.

Ever since being assigned to Team Prime his reports had read like a bad sci-fi novel. So naturally, the real thing was even more unbelievable. To hear that Megatron was not only controlling Jack, but that the boy had powers now, made him wonder what other human experiments the cons had been doing. His superiors would not be happy, but he'd be damned if he let them order the boy be left with the Decepticons, or worse.

Termination.

* * *

Raf felt salt water prick the corners of his eyes behind his glasses.

He couldn't help but think of what Jack must have been feeling under Megatron's instructions. Knowing that, if he had been ordered to hurt Bumblebee he wouldn't have been able to stop crying. But if Megatron could force Jack to do these things, even giving him powers, then what did that mean for the rest of Earth? They had to figure out how those bands worked, and he would apply as much of his mind to the problem as possible.

Megatron could not win.

* * *

Bumblebee observed everyone silently.

He watched the changing emotions on the human's faces. Noted the grim expressions of his team. He felt like he was back at the time when Megatron ripped his voice box out. The look in his friend's eyes, when they'd rescued him, had marked one of their darker days, when they realized they would never hear the young scout's voice again. Sure, he could still communicate over comms, but it wasn't the same.

Bumblebee wondered if Jack would be the same when they rescued him.

* * *

As Optimus finished, Bulkhead came back into the room.

"Uh, Optimus?" The apprehension in his voice caught everyone's attention.

"You're not gonna believe this, but..." He trailed off and Optimus got a sudden sinking feeling.

"Miko's missing."

* * *

**AN: Line breaks, line breaks everywhere.  
**


	8. Chapter 7 A Wrench in the Works

Chapter 7

A Wrench in the Works

* * *

On board the Nemesis, where they have cake and energon and the party never ends. ***clunk***

Where Megatron is a loon and Soundwave the real leader. ***clunk***

Where Decepticons borrow their dastardly plans from Cobra on G.I. Joe. ***clang***

The audience speaks for the first time: This is not a crack story. GET ON WITH IT! ***Bonk***

Okay, okay, you can put the bats away now.

* * *

Miko knew she would be in trouble, when she got back, but she had to know what was really happening. So when the time came for the Autobots to depart, she had pretended to have a fit and storm off, when she asked to go with, doing her best to appear convincing. She'd even resorted to crocodile tears.

Optimus was stern however, meaning she'd successfully suckered him into her act. Oh well, he wouldn't hold it against her, not if she pulled this off.

She watched the battle from her vantage, sneaking from cover to cover like a ninja, and getting closer to the Decepticons across the field. It was fortunate, for her, that everyone had been glued to the monitors back at base, listening in on what amount of action they could decipher, it had allowed her to tiptoe out.

Now that she was here in person, she found it difficult to keep quiet and not cheer on her favorite Autobot out loud, who was trading punches with Breakdown.

She hadn't seen when the battle started, but she could tell the Autobots were incensed about something as they were attacking with a ferocity she hadn't seen before. It probably had to do with Jack standing in front of Megatron, watching his surroundings, with a troubled look on his face. Why didn't he move? Megatron was observing Prime's progress, as the Autobot leader countered Knockout's weapon and punched him in the faceplate, he wasn't focused on Jack at all.

Maybe that band around his head had to do with it. Miko decided to get closer and see if she could get his attention. She made her way carefully, avoiding the Arcee vs Airachnid fight going on to her left, which was a flurry of limbs and flying metal. It was the worse cat fight Miko had ever seen, but Airachnid was losing more of her plating than Arcee, she happily noted. Serves the spider bot right.

Ratchet was creeping up on the Decepticons now, and while they were distracted, Miko crept closer still. She almost stopped right out in the open and the Japanese girl's eyes widened. Since when could Jack toss a Cybertronian back just by raising his arm? Was this Megatron's doing?

The two traded words she couldn't hear, until Ratchet screamed, about to fire, and Arcee tackled the Decepticon leader. Miko looked over at Airachnid, the enemy femme bot was unconscious, scratched and tore up, and a few of her limbs barely clung to their joints, it looked painful. Miko shuddered and vowed to never make Arcee mad. That motorcycle femme could be scary.

She watched, as Jack tried to avoid being stepped on, while the other Decepticons fired at Ratchet, and held her breath, when Megatron was about to shoot Arcee. Bulkhead had just pounded Breakdown into the dirt, and was making his way over, but wouldn't reach them in time. Then Optimus had thrown that vain sports car, Knockout, into his leader and Miko had wanted to cheer again. She took her chance to get as close as she dared, to where the action was, as words were once again exchanged.

She couldn't hold back her scream that time, but it was drowned out by the two elements as they roared past, almost striking the Autobots. How was Jack doing that? It was one thing when it was some weird telekinesis, but now fire and ice?

The music loving teen payed close attention as each Autobot faced off against Jack. She was shocked with how he treated them, firing bolts at Arcee and then throwing her into a boulder not far from where Miko was hiding. She'd had to clasp her hands over her mouth to keep from shouting at him for hurting Bulkhead. She'd wanted to run over and knock some sense into his head when he almost hit Ratchet.

The look on his face though told her he wasn't doing any of it willingly.

Miko tensed as Ratchet and Optimus rushed forward, and jumped over Jack, running towards Megatron while they dodged Decepticon fire. Jack took some cover from their careless shots, when she saw him raise his arm again, and suddenly the two Autobots were tripping for no apparent reason. Her heart sank when the tracer bounced over the ground and was crushed by Megatron.

This was why she was here. When Ratchet told them their was a chance the mission could fail, she decided she wouldn't allow that chance to happen. They needed Jack. So when the Decepticons were about to depart, she followed them.

And she wasn't going to leave without her friend.

* * *

The young girl stepped out of the Nemesis ground bridge and immediately entered spy mode. She ducked behind some piece of equipment and watched the proceedings.

"I want a full report, on each of your failures to defeat the Autobots you were fighting, before you see yourselves to the med bay for repairs." Megatron was saying.

"I thought you wanted the kid to take care of them." Breakdown spoke up.

"While it was amusing to see Prime and his soldiers struck down, by one of the humans they so cherish no less, that is no excuse for the amount of damage you all took." Megatron countered.

"You especially, Airachnid." He said turning to her, "I'm disappointed that Autobot femme got the best of you like this."

"And what of your own wounds, Lord Megatron?" The spider bot pointed out.

"These," Megatron began as he held his hand to the scratch on his faceplate, "Are of no consequence. The pain in that femme's spark was enjoyment enough, but I won't forget to repay her in kind, when next we meet. I should hope you feel the same way, Airachnid."

"Of course, my Lord." The Decepticon femme bowed as much as she was able.

Jack, Miko noticed, was silent throughout this exchange. He had an almost dead look to his eyes, and didn't seem aware there was a conversation happening over his head, while he stared at the floor. She saw anger fill his eyes though when he lifted his head to look at Megatron.

"Master." His voice sounded hollow, like he had to spit the word out, and it floored Miko to hear him call Megatron that. What was going on?

"May I be dismissed?" He sounded as if he was trying not to grit his teeth, now.

Megatron looked down at him pleased with the subservience and said, "Yes, you may. After Knockout checks you over in the med bay. You will stay on the ship." He commanded.

Miko carefully followed them, avoiding Decepticons in the corridors, and ducked behind a crate when they arrived. She watched attentively, wondering if it was safe or not to try and get Jack's attention. Unable to let the opportunity go, she ducked out of hiding and back in, just enough so there was no way for him to miss her.

She wanted to crow in triumph when it worked and Jack didn't call attention to her. Then listened, as Jack manipulated the Decepticon into telling him about the device on his head. She got out her trusty phone, as Knockout brought up displays of the device's workings, and took a picture, then hit the record button knowing the information was important.

So that's what it was, mind control.

She'd wanted to follow the other teen when he left, but couldn't without being seen. She'll catch up to him later. In the meantime, she wondered if the Autobots had noticed she was missing yet.

The sudden vibrating from her pocket told her that yes, they had.

* * *

"Missing! What do you mean she's missing?" Ratchet snapped, Bulkhead looked down sheepish.

"Just what I mean. Miko's not in the base." He replied.

"Great, something else to worry about." Fowler complained, "You guys really have problems keeping an eye on these kids."

"And what about you?" Ratchet turned to him, "You were here the whole time and you didn't exactly do a good job noticing she was gone."

"Hey, I'm not saying it's easy, but you should at least have some better security on that gate, space door, thingy, if just anyone can open it. Do you know how big a security risk that is?" Fowler accused.

"Of course I know, I built the slagging thing!" Ratchet snipped, "And it's called a Ground Bridge!"

"Hmph, whatever." The agent sniffed.

The medic threw up his hands, "Primus, what else can go wrong?" He huffed in frustration, and turned to the computer.

"So how are you going to find Miko?" Asked June curiously.

"If I know that girl, she'll have her phone with her, it's just a simple matter of tracking it's signal then." Ratchet said while punching in commands on the monitor.

"Yeah, Miko loves that thing. She made me turn around halfway to the base and go back for it once, the one time she forgot it." Bulkhead chuckled.

"I just hope she left for a walk or something and didn't actually follow us." Ratchet prayed and then the results came up.

"Oh, slag it." He cursed, "She's on the Nemesis."

"What!" His listeners cried with Bumblebee whirring.

"When I get my hands on that girl I'll have her cleaning the base, by herself, for a week!" The medic promised.

"Can you trace her exact location, Ratchet?" Optimus asked.

"I have to increase the range a little. It'll divert power in the base, but I should be able to get it precise enough for you to retrieve her." He stated.

"Hang on, aren't we forgetting something?" Raf spoke up, "If Miko's on the Nemesis, that means we can get Jack too."

The bots looked at each other as the humans watched hopeful.

"We can try, we should at least find whatever information we can, on that mind control device of Megatron's." Ratchet said.

"You will bring Jack too, if you find him, right?" June had one hand clasped to her chest as she asked.

"I don't know." Ratchet hated to say, she looked crushed at that, so Optimus stepped forward.

"We will make the attempt if we can, but I fear the hold that Megatron has on your son will sabotage our efforts." He stared at her intensely, "But we will search the ship for whatever information it takes to free Jack, I swear it on my spark."

Arcee walked forward, "I'll go." She said.

Optimus could see in her optics that she would not be deterred and nodded. Bumblebee whirred and beeped with chatter nobody, but Raf and the other Autobots, could understand.

"Are you certain? Your previous injury hasn't fully healed yet." Ratchet asked, Bumblebee blipped in confirmation.

"Then I welcome your assistance." Optimus said gratefully.

"Be careful, Bee." Raf entreated the young scout who gave him a thumbs up.

"_I'll be home in time for dinner!"_ Homer Simpson's voice came through his radio.

"Uh, hey, don't forget about me." Bulkhead exclaimed.

"We wouldn't if we could, big guy." Fowler teased.

"Alright, Ratchet are we ready?" Optimus asked

"I'll call Miko to confirm her position." The red and white bot typed some keys at his station and got a ring in response.

* * *

"Ratchet?" Miko answered. She was whispering as low as possible, so as not to be heard by Knockout, but high enough for the medic bot at the other end of the call to hear.

"Where are you?" Said medic bot asked.

"In the med bay on the Nemesis." She replied.

"What! What are you doing there?" He almost shouted in alarm as Miko winced.

"Will you keep it down? There's a con in the room and I'm trying to stay unnoticed." She snipped at him, "I saw Jack."

"Is he alright? Is he with you?"

"He's okay, if you don't count the Decepticon's weird brain impulse thingy they have him wearing." She told him, "And no, he's not with me, he's walking through the ship somewhere."

Ratchet was surprised, "Megatron is letting him wander the Nemesis?"

"Yes, but he's not allowed to leave, either." She said. The bots looked at each other. What would happen if they took Jack with them then?

"But it doesn't matter." Miko continued, "I've got a picture and recording I took that tells how Megatron's controlling him."

"That's excellent work. Can you transmit it?" Ratchet asked in amazement.

"Not while I'm talking I can't."

"Alright then, try to find a secluded area to hide while I open a bridge. Then sit tight, reinforcements are on the way." He ordered.

"On it." Miko said.

"Oh, and Miko?" She cringed, "When you get back you have some explaining to do, young lady!" The call ended.

She waited, until Knockout became absorbed in buffering his chassis, before breaking for the exit and out into the hall, the loud sound of the machine blocking out the noise of the opening and closing door. Darting into the shadows, she set off down the corridor, and was doing well, until she ran into Airachnid, who was looking only slightly better.

"Well, well, what have we here?" The spider bot said, a hungry look in her optics.

Miko could only gulp.

"Scrap."


	9. Chapter 8 When All Gears Stop

Chapter 8

When All Gears Stop

* * *

Airachnid stared down at the human female before her.

She'd been on her way to the med bay when she saw the creature sneaking through the ship. Wondering why Soundwave hadn't noticed the little intruder wandering around, she followed the girl along the ceiling. The spider bot had originally intended to get fixed up, and go find Jack to play with for a while, but a bit of fun hunting this new child wouldn't hurt.

She waited, until the human stopped to check behind her, before dropping down, and watched her jump startled.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Airachnid crooned.

"Scrap." The girl gulped and backed away.

"You must be one of Jack's friends." The spider bot began to circle her prey.

"His mate perhaps?" The human blushed with a mortified look on her face.

"Me and Jack? No way!" She protested, "What kind of girl do you take me for?"

"The easy kind." Airachnid purred, "Easy to hunt, rather."

"I'm not your prey you stupid con!" The child stated fiercely and kicked at one of her sorer legs. The Decepticon femme hissed at the unexpected pain.

"You little insect! You'll pay for that!" She screeched, but the female was already racing down the hall, the racket having caught the attention of the patrols.

Airachnid chased after the human, until the spider bot was smashed into the ship's bulkhead, by Bulkhead.

She'd be lucky if she remembered anything by the time she woke up.

* * *

Bulkhead drew his wrecking cannon back from the unconscious femme and dodged Decepticon lasers. The whole ship was on alert now and his team was covering his back as they returned fire. He looked down the corridor, where his charge was running, about to be cut off by more soldiers.

"Oy, Miko!" He shouted, she turned to see him a happy expression on her face.

"Get down!" He warned. Miko hit the deck as he took precise shots at the Decepticons behind her, destroying them. He raced over, scooped her up, and set her down in a doorway, which led to a thankfully empty room, out of firing range as he concentrated on protecting her.

"Where's Jack?" he asked over the roar of blaster bolts.

"I don't know." Miko replied, trying to see as much action as possible. She was surprised to see Bumblebee there knocking a few cons around.

"Wasn't Bee hurt?" She asked.

"He decided to come with." Bulkhead grunted, "You really don't know where Jack went?"

"No, but I'll help you find him."

"You'll do no such thing." Optimus was suddenly with them firing to cover the big mech's back. Arcee and Bumblebee took cover across from them in the curvature of the wall.

"I need you to take the bridge back to base and give Ratchet your information. In the meanwhile, we'll look for Jack." The Autobot leader told her.

"But-" She tried.

"No buts, Jack's freedom depends on you, right now." The red and blue bot reminded her.

Miko stopped her protests and nodded, she'd do more good, for her friend, doing what was asked of her than going to look for him. Soon the blasts died down, as the Decepticons retreated to regroup, and finally there was silence.

"Ratchet open the ground bridge." Optimus ordered. The white swirling gate soon appeared in the middle of the hall. Miko stepped toward it, before she entered, she looked back at them.

"Bust up the cons real good this time, especially Megatron." She stated with conviction.

"You can count on it, Miko." Bulkhead promised, punching his fists together.

She smiled at him, turned, and walked through the portal. Optimus looked to his team as it closed.

"Split up and search the ship. Bulkhead, go with Arcee. Bumblebee with me. Comm. as soon as you find him." He said to them, as more Decepticons showed up. The group pivoted as one to meet them.

"Autobots, roll out."

They moved at the command, dodging blaster fire, and broke through the enemy line, smashing up cons as they went. At the next intersecting corridor the two teams separated, tearing off in different directions, with pursuing soldiers behind them.

Nothing would stand in their way.

* * *

Starscream didn't know just what had crawled into his wiring to be doing this.

After what happened the last time he was on the Nemesis, he'd vowed to stay away, until he had a viable plan to take down Megatron. When Prime broadcast his challenge to the jet con's former leader, however, it had been too good an opportunity to pass up. Luckily for him, it only took him a couple hours to trace the ship, unlike before, when it took him months. Fortune smiles on the crafty.

So here he was, back on his previous home, sneaking about for some energon and keeping an audio open for information. Like any place, that required long hours of boredom, there was gossip to be had, and Decepticon gossip tended to be pretty bad. It didn't take long, what with listening to the comms, for Starscream to pick up on Megatron's latest scheme.

He'd thought first that his audios were glitching. Really, a human with power, who'd ever heard of such a thing? Then he thought Megatron's Processor must be missing a few nodes, not that it hadn't been to begin with. After all, the 'great' and 'mighty' Megatron stooping so low as to keep one of those insignificant flesh creatures. Preposterous!

So naturally Starscream went snooping in Megatron's quarters to find out.

The slim silver mech knew, the most impertinent information, about any of the Decepticon leader's plans, would be kept in his room. Getting past the guards was a simple matter, for the former second in command, although, getting past the secure locking measures on the door was something else entirely.

Starscream examined the key pad next to it and decided to frag it. His ex-commander could fix his own slagging door.

With a couple blasts from the seeker's weapon the entrance to Megatron's quarters caved. If he'd tried this, when he was following the Decepticon leader, he would have been instantly dismantled, not that it wouldn't end that way if he was found here, anyway. As it was, he'd better hurry and get his aft out of Kaon before Megatron returned.

He stepped through. The Decepticon leader's private quarters were clean and sparse, with few things, if any, lying about. There was only a desk and a berth in the small space, with another door which, he knew, led to a washroom. Over on the desk, something caught Starscream's optics, amid the small neat stacks of reports and equipment, lay a tiny human notebook.

"What's this?" Starscream picked it up, "Megatron reading human literature now? How amusing."

He carefully opened it and turned the pages scanning them. The more he continued to read the more amazement showed on his face. So it wasn't just a rumor running about the ship, there really was a human with powers. Very interesting.

Deciding that the information was indeed of very great use to him, the rogue Decepticon palmed the small book and quickly exited the room. On his way out of the Nemesis, however, he ran into the two mechs he never wanted to be caught by, Soundwave and Megatron.

"Well, Starscream," The bigger silver mech growled, "I see you've returned to defy me yet again."

He eyed the book the smaller mech was holding and his red optics smoldered.

"You've been stealing from my quarters!" He hissed.

"M-Megatron, please wait! I can explain!" The seeker gasped in fear, oh, he was about to be so much scrap, he thought, as he backed up.

"Ever since you snuck aboard last time, causing Orion to grow suspicious of me, I've been highly annoyed with you. So it's time I tied up some loose ends." The Decepticon lord approached him menacingly unsheathing his arm blade.

"It's not my fault if you can't even deceive an amnesiac Autobot properly." Starscream cried impulsively.

Oh, slag, he shouldn't have said that.

Megatron snarled and swiped at his former SIC, but the crafty bot ducked with a girly yelp, and, like the coward he was, transformed, and blasted off.

"Not this time, Starscream!" The warlord roared, and quickly changed to his own flight mode, and tore off after the fleeing rogue.

The two swept past hallways, and other Decepticons, at high speed.

They almost hit Jack and Breakdown as they sped by.

* * *

"Whoa!" Jack cried out, as he was almost knocked over by the wind stream of the two racing ships. He'd taken his time, walking through the Nemesis, and found himself in the same corridor as Breakdown. He looked after the two cons as they sped down the hall.

"Was that Starscream?" He asked the mech beside him who nodded.

"Looks like Screamer's getting run off by Megatron, too." The smirking Decepticon looked down at the human.

"Wanna go watch?" He asked, the boy grimaced.

"Uh, no thanks." Jack said, he didn't want to see his captor's display of cruelty on someone else, even if they were a former Decepticon. He'd had enough of that himself, thank you very much.

"Hmph, I should probably take you to see Megatron anyway." Breakdown said as he transformed and opened his passenger door.

"Get in." He ordered.

Jack reluctantly did as he was told and felt the seatbelt wrap around him. Once secured, the blue armored truck sped off, just as the alarms sounded.

"What's going on now?" Jack wondered not expecting an answer.

"The intruder alert. There must be Autobots on board." The Decepticon replied, and suddenly swerved around the next corner, shoving the human into his side door with the inertia.

"Hey, where are we going?" The kid protested. He thought they were headed for Megatron.

"We're gonna intercept them like good soldiers, that's what." The armored truck stated.

"Wait, what? Er, shouldn't you, um, let me out someplace so you can take care of it?" Jack asked hopeful, he did not want to fight his friends again, it had been hard enough the first time.

"No. Lord Megatron ordered for you to have as much experience as possible. Get used to it." The blue and silver mech told him harshly.

Jack sighed. Great, it was just like the Decepticon leader to do that and ensure his revenge on him at the same time. Maybe though, if he was clever, he could ditch Breakdown without hurting the Autobots. Megatron hadn't ordered him to attack yet after all.

They swerved around another corner and Jack felt his stomach sink again.

"Arcee." He said softly to himself.

She and Bulkhead were surrounded by enemies. Arcee was using her great acrobatics to jump and dive out of the way of blaster fire, while simultaneously causing cons to shoot each other.

She flipped over one Vehicon, and immediately ducked down as the new Eradicon in front of her fired. The Decepticon behind her was hit, as she kicked out and smashed the one before her into his buddies, then she turned and shot an enemy to her right.

Bulkhead alternated between blasting and pummeling cons with his wrecking cannons. He smashed one's helm in with his right and fired at another with his left. He used his massive frame to barrel through enemy clusters like they were bowling pins, and threw cons into each other.

He and Arcee were quickly making short work of their opponents.

Breakdown transformed, setting Jack down, and called out to a nearby Decepticon.

"Watch him, and make sure he doesn't run off. Megatron would be displeased if anything happened to his pet." He ordered.

So much for that plan, Jack thought.

The blue and silver mech brought out his hammer before launching himself at the Autobot wrecker. He struck Bulkhead, in the side of his helm, throwing him down the hall with the momentum. Then he followed up by catching Arcee in her side, and sent her crashing into a pile of scrapped Eradicons hard enough to scatter them.

Bulkhead smacked a Decepticon, trying to take advantage of the downed bot, into a wall as he got up and faced his old enemy.

"You come back for round two, Breakdown?" The green mech taunted seeing the dents hadn't been repaired yet in his opponent's chassis.

"Yeah, but this time you'll be the one leaving all banged up. I'll personally cave your spark in." The blue bot threatened, slapping his hammer's head into his other hand. Bulkhead raised his own weapons.

"Then let's dance."

A flurry of blows followed as the two faced off.

* * *

Down a ways, Arcee was dealing with problems of her own.

As she picked herself up, from the literal scrap pile, she spotted Jack being watched by an Eradicon, who was clustered in a group of them, as they fired at her. While Bulkhead was engaged, she raced towards them, transforming into her alt mode to present an even smaller target.

She drove up one of the walls, jumped, and rammed into a con, then transformed, as she forced him to eat metal, jumping off of him with a kick that sent him crashing to the floor. The momentum carried her as she back flipped, grabbed the soldier she passed beneath her by his shoulders, and threw him into his fellows as she landed and straightened up. She rolled and fired her blaster at the remaining three until they were nothing but twisted metal.

She turned to Jack, who'd moved close to the wall to avoid the carnage, and carefully approached. Jack backed away from her looking down in shame, causing her to stop, as she realized she couldn't get close to him.

"Jack?" Arcee felt hurt, but he looked up at her, as though to say something, and she understood he was keeping his distance to protect her. He must have been told to attack them if they got too near, she thought.

"We're going to get you out of here." She told him, there was no way she would leave him a second time. Jack was her partner.

"Miko got information about that device." She watched his face alight in relief and knew he had something to do with it.

"Ratchet should be working on it right now."

Indeed it was so.

* * *

The Autobot base was a hive of activity, metaphorically speaking.

Computers were active, while the intel Miko gave them raced through the system, to be analyzed, in seconds.

"An impulse disrupter? Of course, I should have recognized it before!" Ratchet said in surprise. The humans, who stood waiting a bit antsy, stared at him questioningly.

"What exactly is an impulse disrupter? Isn't that like mind control?" Miko asked, that's what it had sounded like to her when Knockout was explaining.

"It's similar," Ratchet began, "A true mind control device would ultimately be fatal for the victim, as it pressures their minds, causing strain that kills them. This is more like brainwashing, it replaces the natural impulses for programmed ones." Seeing their continued confusion he clarified.

"When your mind makes decisions, based on input from your surroundings, chemicals react in your brain. When you act on this activity, it's called an impulse. These impulses can be read and predicted by frequencies. But frequencies can also influence the actions of your brain because it's how it communicates." He continued.

"An impulse disrupter can intercept the messages in your mind that tell you what reaction to take. It's close to the same way you control your actions. Like when you want to fight, you can ignore the feeling to do so, this is called discipline. Mind over matter." He turned back to the computer.

"This device however, by using voice programmed frequencies, enforces discipline to the point that it's stronger than the victim's will. Jack's own mind is holding him back, while allowing him free thought at the same time. Unless the disrupter is removed, he is forced to follow whatever command Megatron gives him."

The four humans looked horrified.

"There's got to be someway you can remove it." June said with frustration.

"Yeah, whatever you need Ratchet, just say the word, and I'll give my boys a call to get you the equipment you need." Fowler declared.

"I appreciate the thought, but Jack's disrupter was crafted from Cybertronian technology, modified from the ones that the Decepticons used early in the war. We would have to bring him here to remove it, but if I know Megatron he will have already thought of that and countered it." Ratchet clenched his fist feeling helpless. He hit the side of the keyboard.

"Blast it!" He cried, "If we had more time I'd construct a more portable De-melding device."

"De-melding?" Raf wondered he was in deep thought as a plan began to stir.

"It's a device that unlocks a Cybertronian's alt mode, if for some reason they get stuck in it or are unconscious and need medical attention. I've used it on Autobots for just that purpose."

"Why would you need one though?" Miko asked.

"Because the Impulse Disrupter is designed to adjust to each person by transforming, until it fits them precisely down to the last angstrom, then lock itself into place, so it can't be removed without causing serious harm." He burst out.

"Maybe we don't have to remove it." Raf said thoughtfully. His friends turned and looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Ratchet asked, willing to listen to just about anything at that point.

"I have an idea." Raf began.

* * *

Back on board the Nemesis.

Megatron had just trapped that little menace Starscream, near one of the exits, when Optimus Prime, with scout Bumblebee, raced around the corner, in their alt modes, and barreled into him. The seeker, whom he'd had by the throat, took off again, as the Autobots transformed, escaping with the notebook. He would pay, oh how he would pay.

Later.

Megatron glared at Optimus and the yellow mech beside him.

"How did you get on this ship?" He demanded outraged.

"_It's called ingenuity, yo!"_ Bumblebee's radio chirped. Megatron's optics narrowed.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter." He said unsheathing and raising his arm blade. "I'll tear out your sparks just the same."

"Where's Jack?" Optimus approached him, with his own blades out, and the two began circling each other. Bumblebee turned to deal with a few Vehicons that had followed them, blasting them to pieces.

"What's the matter, Prime? Do you need a human to command your troops, now?" The silver mech slashed, with power behind his strike, but the red and blue leader parried, using more speed than brute strength.

"The boy has no place on the battlefield in our war, Megatron. Let him go." Optimus said between the flurry of swipes.

"I'm rather attached to my pet. How about, no." The Decepticon leader teased. He locked blades with his counterpart and they struggled for dominance.

"You know what your problem is, Prime? You're just far too sentimental. Giving the key to Vector Sigma to that child, you put far too much faith in these humans." He kicked the Autobot leader forcing the two of them away.

"And your problem, Megatron, is that you could never inspire much loyalty, only enforce it. You also underestimate humanity's strength." Optimus straightened up and rushed him.

Using one blade to defend, he attacked with the other, and got up under the silver mech's guard, leaving a new scratch on his faceplate to match the other. Megatron hissed at him as the two parted again.

"Funny you should mention loyalty, Prime, when you're little friend was so easily turned against you, with a few simple commands." He feinted right and changed his thrust into an upward slash, but the red and blue mech blocked the sword, before it reached his chassis.

"Only because you force him. Jack's true loyalty is not to you." The Autobot leader grunted. Megatron looked into his optics.

"That's the idea." He grinned. As the two warring leaders began to fight in earnest, Optimus got a call from Arcee.

"Optimus, we've found Jack." She reported.

"Can you retrieve him?" He inquired, still focused on defending himself.

"Negative. We can't get close without one of Megatron's orders activating." Was her reply. Megatron who was listening smirked.

"You see, Prime? Why inspire when enforcing is so much easier? It costs me far less to see you suffer over such an insignificant life form." He laughed darkly.

"All your ruling by fear has ever got you, Megatron, was an army of back stabbers, who turn on their leader at the slightest weakness." Optimus countered. Megatron growled.

"There is one I have now, Optimus Prime, and he will not disobey me."

* * *

On the other end of the comm.

Arcee could make out a little that was said between the two leaders, as she waited for a response. She and Jack had moved to a new location, her partner keeping his distance all the while. Bulkhead and Breakdown had disappeared somewhere and the Decepticons had yet to regroup. Their area was silent for the most part.

"Arcee," Optimus came back, "Do what you can for now until you hear from Ratchet. We will not leave before he reports in."

"Understood." She confirmed and the call ended.

"Well now, looks like I get the femme all to myself." Jack and Arcee whirled to see Knockout come towards them, with his electric staff out, the mech's frame shined like new.

"This party's about to get a lot more interesting." He held his weapon up sinisterly. Arcee prepped her own blasters to fire.

"You came awfully overdressed to the occasion." She needled as they squared off.

"I like to look nice when serving up fried Autobot." He grinned.

"Funny, I was just thinking of having barbecued Decepticon myself." The femme rejoined.

"Hm, I should take you out for a spin sometime." Knockout leered.

"Sorry, you're not my type. I hate cheap paint jobs." Arcee prodded. That wiped the smirk off the arrogant slagger's face.

"You'll be worrying about more than your paint, when I'm through with you." He snapped.

Jack watched the two Transformers go at it.

Arcee, with her speed, made a difficult target, and she was able to get in far more hits than her enemy. Knockout was no pushover, however, and took her blows without significant harm, while his shock rod was crippling when it struck.

The femme bot kept out of range, using her blasters to great advantage, and dodged or deflected with her blades, when the red mech struck too close. The vain sports car was crafty though, and began to predict her patterns, getting closer each time to the Autobot with every attempt.

Then it happened.

Knockout made as if to lunge, and instead plunged the rod into the floor, then used it as a balance to launch a swinging kick. Arcee flew into the wall, hard enough to bounce off, and lay there stunned. The red mech walked up to her as she sat up on her arms.

"Any last words?"

He held his weapon up to finish her off.

* * *

**AN: An angstrom is 10 million times smaller than a millimeter. This chapter as well as the next were difficult to write with all the action and jumping around, but I got em. Hope you guys have enjoyed everything so far.  
**


	10. Chapter 9 Restart the Machine

Chapter 9

Restart the Machine

* * *

Ratchet worked furiously at his station, fingers a blur, as they danced over the computer keys.

Raf, working from a smaller unit beside him, was much the same. Watching the two was dizzying, as they talked back and forth in geeky computer speak. Ratchet would shout something, after each new input, and Raf would confirm or deny. It went on like this for several minutes.

"There, we're ready now. I hope this plan of yours works, Rafael." Ratchet told him.

"I don't see anyway we could make it worse, but we have to try." Raf stated earnestly. The others were listening in.

"So how's this gonna work?" Fowler wondered.

"We're going to use Megatron's own arrogance against him." The medic bot turned to them with a bit of excitement.

"And we'll need everyone." He informed them seriously. June stared at him with a determined look, her will was resolved.

"What do we need to do?"

* * *

Bumblebee ducked and twisted busy smashing up some Eradicons.

He raised his foot for a roundhouse kick and pounded an enemy into the floor. Then swiveled to fire at a couple sneaking up behind him. When the area cleared, he looked to see seven downed cons, all scrapped. He turned to the two fighting leaders behind him, to give Optimus assistance, when his comm. crackled to life.

"Bumblebee," Ratchet spoke urgently, "We need you to transmit everything Megatron says to the base."

"_Why?"_ The yellow scout tweeted.

"Raf has a plan to help Jack, but we need your input to make it work." The Autobot medic explained.

"_Roger, roger."_ Bumblebee chirped, and focused on the two occupied enemies, transmitting Megatron's speech, and keeping an optic open for trouble. Everything the old rivals said to each other was recorded at Autobot headquarters.

"There is one I have now, Optimus Prime, and he will not disobey me." They heard the Decepticon leader say.

"Soundwave, bring my pet to me."

* * *

Jack could not allow Arcee to be off lined.

He had watched her battle Knockout, inwardly cheering the Autobot on, as he stayed his distance. It never ceased to amaze him how fast Cybertronians could be and his partner was definitely one of the best. Then Knockout smacked her into a wall, and Jack tensed. There was no way he would let that Decepticon kill his favorite Autobot.

So he did something reckless.

Jack rushed towards the two activating one of his commands on purpose. He grabbed Arcee with his telekinesis, and flung her down the hall, just as Knockout struck. The Decepticon missed and hit the floor with his staff, in surprise. He turned to the human incensed.

"Little fragger, I'll make you pay for that!" Knockout shouted outraged and swung at Jack.

Big mistake.

The teen threw enough fire into the Decepticon's chassis to engulf him and throw him back. The heat and force made the vain medic fall to the ground unconscious, his new paint job nice and charred, and his frame smoking.

"Stupid con." Jack panted.

That had taken a lot out of him. On top of his early morning practice, his brief battle with Soundwave, and fighting the Autobots, no wonder he was tired. Had he really used his abilities that much in one day? Jack felt exhausted.

"Well, I did ask for barbecued Decepticon." Arcee said in amusement, as she walked over, she looked at her partner.

"Thanks Jack." She said gratefully.

The boy nodded, still panting a little, and she frowned noting how worked up he was. When was the last time he'd eaten, or rested? She wondered. Something else she'd be repaying Megatron for, the slagger.

"Come on, let's see if we can find-" She stopped and whirled suddenly, blasters up, as she searched the hallway for the disturbance she detected.

Nothing.

Arcee turned back around.

A fist was all she saw before she blacked out.

* * *

Jack could only watch helplessly, as his Autobot partner fell bonelessly to the floor. Soundwave straightened up, and he stared at the Decepticon spy's visor, as he scooped him into his hand.

"Wh-where are we going?" The teen couldn't help the nervous stutter as he asked.

"Soundwave, bring my pet to me." Megatron's recorded voice played from the con's helm.

Which could only mean one thing, Jack gulped as he thought.

He was going to fight his friends again.

* * *

Arcee groaned as she came to, and opened her optics, to see a blaster in her face.

Two Decepticons stood above her their weapons primed to fire. Where was Jack? She thought, last she recalled was getting knocked out.

"On your feet, Autobot, and no funny business." One con said waving his gun.

"I would almost say the same to you." She said trying to goad them into making a mistake. The one to her left smacked her with his blaster, and she fell to the floor again.

"No one told you to speak!" He hissed.

"Hey," A voice called out behind them. The Decepticons turned and were smashed together by Bulkhead's wrecking cannons.

"You should be nicer to femmes." He told them, they groaned piteously, but didn't get back up.

"Thanks." Arcee said, as the green mech helped her up.

"I thought you were still busy with Breakdown?" She asked.

"I was, but you know me, I took care of him." Bulkhead said, thinking back to his opponent, who had his head stuck in a door, when last he saw him.

"So, where's Jack?" Bulkhead wondered.

"Take one guess." The femme bot said darkly.

"Megatron."

* * *

Optimus continued to trade blows with his enemy.

His blue optics scrutinized the Decepticon leader for weaknesses as he parried. It had felt like hours since they'd started, the silver mech had a habit of throwing as much strength into his swings as possible, trying to wear out his opponent. The Autobot leader could feel his arms waver every time he locked blades with his rival.

Megatron's years of fighting in the Kaon arena, and then millenia of warfare, were serving him well, but Optimus was no light weight. For every strike, the Prime matched his enemy blow for blow, their speed was almost equal. The Autobot leader was tiring, however.

"You can't hold out against me forever, Prime." Megatron's red optics gleamed, as he forced the Autobot back with a particularly vicious swipe.

The red and blue mech knew the Decepticon was right. Of the two of them, the war lord had always been strongest, he'd simply been fighting longer, and though Optimus could handle him, he could not keep it up indefinitely.

He glanced over at Bumblebee, who stood a ways back, still recording, and dealing with the occasional enemy. If Raf's plan worked he wouldn't have to keep this up much longer. The Prime just hoped the others could finish before Soundwave showed up with Jack.

"If defeat by your hands is what it takes to stop you, Megatron," Optimus refocused on his rival, "Then I happily give my spark to the cause."

"Good, then you can start by giving me your head." The Decepticon lord leered darkly at him.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way." Prime shook his head.

The two went at it again. Megatron came in low, but Optimus deflected and moved for a jab at his enemy's left side. If it weren't for the blaster, hidden behind his opponent's sword, he might have succeeded. The silver mech fired, hitting the Autobot leader in his shoulder, dangerously close to his spark chamber, and Optimus fell back in pain with a cry.

As he stood gingerly to his feet, servo trying to stave the energon leaking from the wound, Soundwave arrived carrying Jack in his hand. The boy looked at him with worry, as Megatron turned to his communications officer, grinning widely.

"Excellent, Soundwave." He said, as the teen was brought to him. The silver mech's smile became sadistic, as he set the human down in front of his most hated enemy.

"It's only too fitting, to have the great Optimus Prime, felled by his own sympathies for these flesh creatures." His red optics flashed.

"Attack, and finish him, boy!" Megatron ordered.

Jack closed his eyes, with a sorrowful look, before racing forward. Lightning arced around him, leaving a trail of electrified air, as he threw a large bolt at the red and blue mech. The Autobot leader lurched to the side and was still hit by the energy wake as it passed by. Behind him, Bumblebee dived out of the way, with a bleeping that could only be Cybertronian curses.

Optimus slipped, when the floor became covered in ice, his feet flying out from under him. He landed on his bad shoulder with a hiss, and Jack directed more ice to creep up his frame, holding the Autobot leader down.

Bumblebee decided he'd had enough and ran to protect the fallen Prime. The speedy bot carefully fired at the boy, hitting the floor just in front of him, to force the teen back. Jack jumped away, with his hands over his head to protect himself, and quickly summoned a condensed ball of fire, launching it at the scout.

It sailed close to the yellow Autobot, before exploding in a bright flash and loud boom. Bumblebee clutched his audios, optics shut tight, screeching as they were overwhelmed, when he was picked up and flung into a wall. He landed on his helm with a groan as his comm. came to life.

"Base to Bumblebee, come in." Fowler called worried. The yellow scout whirred in reply, still getting over Jack's little flash bang.

"Every thing's almost ready just hold out for a bit longer." Behind the agent, Miko and June were preparing the medical area, and Ratchet and Raf were a pair of tornadoes at their consoles.

Bumblebee blipped in confirmation, as he stood back up, with new energy to confront Jack. He saw that Optimus had broken out of the ice and was forced to avoid another electric discharge. The Prime was beginning to notice the attacks, while seemingly dangerous, were loosing strength behind them. They both noted Jack was panting and building up a sweat.

"Megatron, you're working him too hard, call him back!" The Autobot leader implored his rival, who could also see the boy's exhaustion, but didn't care.

"The child has yet to finish you, Prime, and I won't tell him to stop, until he has run himself into the ground to do so." The silver mech smirked.

Optimus's blue optics narrowed, if this continued for much longer, Jack would kill himself from overexertion. Arcee and Bulkhead arrived, just then, and began firing at the two Decepticons. Megatron and Soundwave dived out of line of fire, and traded shots, with the new arrivals, who gathered around their leader.

"Quickly, we must defeat the Autobots before they can raise a sufficient defense." Megatron told the slim mech beside him.

"Stand with me, boy!" He commanded Jack.

The teen rejoined his captor, and they tag-teamed Prime and the others, Soundwave not far behind them.

Arcee and Bumblebee faced off with the Decepticon spy, the yellow scout distracting him with his blaster, while the femme maneuvered for attack. The dark mech was not the most feared of Megatron's soldiers for nothing though, and fired back, while using his tentacles to defend himself.

The two Autobots danced around Soundwave's strikes, and Arcee slammed her fist into his helm before he tossed her back into Bumblebee, and the two went sprawling on the floor. They got up again, not yet out of the fight, not by a long shot.

Bulkhead and Optimus were having a time of it fighting Jack and Megatron. They didn't want to harm their friend, and tried focusing on the silver mech, but Jack was protecting his enforcer. Each time an Autobot moved in, the boy distracted them and the Decepticon lord followed it up with his own attack.

To counter this, Bulkhead tried drawing Jack's attention so Optimus could strike, but the teen froze the Prime's feet to the floor. Megatron took advantage and swung his blade, cutting the Autobot leader across one of his arms, as he was thrown off balance. Bulkhead leaped at the Decepticon, and smashed his right cannon into the mech's chassis, then got electrocuted by Jack for his trouble.

Neither battle was going well, the Autobots were obtaining more wounds than they were doling out, and Jack was looking more haggard each time he used his powers. The boy was doing his best to avoid using his more flexible techniques, aiming for widespread attacks, but the more the fight dragged on the more the Impulse Disrupter pushed him to use those skills.

Small balls of condensed lightning floated around him, and as he cut off Prime's approach to Megatron with a wave of fire, he flung one of the spheres in between the two Autobots. It's energy exploded out in a wave shocking the two. Jack was breathing heavily now, and sweat rolled off his face, as the band on his head forced him to keep concentration.

It wouldn't be long before he keeled over.

* * *

Back at base.

Ratchet worked furiously, on the program before him, with Raf beside him shifting through various recordings. Miko and June had finished setting up the medical space, as much as they could, and joined Fowler to watch the readings, and man the ground bridge.

"Come on, come on," The medic bot muttered impatiently, information flowing across his monitor.

"It's almost ready, Ratchet." Raf exclaimed excitedly.

"Good, how much longer?" Fowler asked for him.

"Two minutes." The child genius replied.

"Okay," The red and white Autobot said turning to face them.

"If we're going to do this we have to work fast. Miko, wait by the ground bridge for my signal. June, stand by the medical area. Fowler, contact Optimus and get them ready." He directed, setting up what looked like a giant projector in front of the bridge, it was connected to the main computer.

"It's done, Ratchet!" Raf shouted.

"Miko, open the bridge!" The medic bot ordered, turning on the machine, as the gate sprung up in front of him.

"Hit it, Rafael!"

* * *

On the Nemesis.

Bulkhead shot his fist into Megatron's faceplate and the two rolled across the deck. The Decepticon's eyes glowed with fury, and with a snarl he seized the green mech by the helm and threw him into Arcee and Bumblebee. The three Autobots landed in a heap struggling to untangle themselves and stand up.

Jack and Optimus knelt on the floor, the boy breathing hard from exhaustion, and the red and blue mech from low energon due to his shoulder.

"You see, Prime?" Megatron stood behind his pet his shadow looming over the teen.

"This is what your faith in these creatures costs you. Death for you and all your Autobots, and victory for me." He said, raising his hand and clenching it in a fist in triumph.

Optimus stared at Jack, the human was on hands and knees, pushed almost to the point of collapse. The boy wearily looked up at him, trying to say his name, his face pleading, and the Prime felt his spark clench. He could not fail the child again.

He stood back on his feet, just as the ground bridge opened behind him. All action ceased as the combatants stared. From out of the swirling vortex a massive figure appeared, the silver chassis, red optics, and fusion cannon. It was Megatron.

A stunned silence fell over the fighters.

Jack, in his tired state, gazed up at the apparition before him in confusion.

_'What? Does Megatron have a clone now?_

It looked so real, from the way the Decepticon observed everything with a sneer, to the way his armor gleamed in the poor lighting. It even cast a shadow, and made noise when it walked, as it stared down at him, its voice exactly the same as the mech's behind him when it spoke.

"_You will disobey my commands."_

And that was all it took.

Every order Jack had been given came undone as he felt them slip away. Anger burned in his gut, and he turned, and with the last ounce of his strength, blasted the real Megatron with an electric wave that sent him flying. He then blacked out in sweet oblivion.

* * *

Arcee ran to her partner and picked him up, cradling him in one arm, as she kept her blaster raised. She retreated to her team as the Decepticon leader sat up with a snarl.

"What? No, my pet!" He fired in anger at his mirror image, still standing in front of the open ground bridge. The shots passed through and soon after the double disappeared.

"He's not yours anymore, Megatron!" Arcee stated with a triumphant grin.

"Yeah, he's loyal to us!" Bulkhead cried, beside them Bumblebee chirped in agreement.

"No, stop them!" Soundwave and his leader opened fire as more Decepticons began to show up.

"Autobots, let's go." Optimus ordered, and they all quickly raced through the portal behind them.

Megatron was incensed, all his careful planning, how could this happen? He smashed one of his soldiers as they drew near. Then raised his head to the heavens with a roar.

"PRIIIIIIIIIMMMMMME!"

* * *

**Bonus:**

"Hey!" Breakdown shouted hammering at the sides of the door his head was trapped in.

***Flashback***

He'd been fighting that Autobot, Bulkhead, their battle taking them up and down the Nemesis corridors. The blue and silver mech was making good on his threat, against his enemy, to do damage leaving some nice dents in the green mech's armor. Then they'd come to this area.

Breakdown swung his hammer down at the Autobot's helm, but Bulkhead rolled out of the way. He then tackled the Decepticon, and the two rolled over the floor, trading punches. Finally they flung themselves away from each other with a fist to the faceplate. They both stood up rubbing their jaws.

"My respect for you as a warrior goes up every time we do battle, Autobot." Breakdown said.

"Uh, thanks, I think. You're not too bad yourself." Bulkhead replied warily.

"You're still gonna lose this match." The Decepticon raised his weapon and charged.

Bulkhead looked around for an escape. He had to finish this quickly and get back to his team, he could feel they needed him. He spotted a door a little behind him and to his left. Just then, Breakdown rammed into him and the green mech felt his feet begin to slide.

When they were level to the doorway Bulkhead got an idea.

The Autobot planted his feet, reached over to the entrance switch, then muscled Breakdown, until his head was in position, and punched the controls. The doors slammed onto the Decepticon's neck, getting stuck, and trapping him. Breakdown yelled in discomfort and humiliation as he got stuck bent over.

"What's that, Breakdown?" Bulkhead pretended to listen to the other mech's grunts as he tried pulling himself free.

"Open this door, Autobot, and maybe I won't use you for spare parts!" He screamed.

"You freely admit I won and can leave now?" Bulkhead continued to joke kicking the Decepticon in the aft.

"Aaaauuugh!"

"Okay then, bye. Hope you have that looked at!" He took off to find Arcee.

"When I get out of here, you're dead, Autobot!"

***End Flashback***

"Hey!" Breakdown shouted again.

"Someone get me out of heeeeeeeerrrrrree!"


	11. Chapter 10 The Funny Thing About Jack

Chapter 10

The Funny Thing About Jack

* * *

"Oh thank Primus, it worked!" Ratchet exclaimed in relief, as Arcee walked through the ground bridge, with Jack in her arms, followed by the others.

In the background, Miko and Raf were cheering and June cried out with joy, as the returning Autobots surveyed the base. There was a pile of mangled machinery in front of the gate, near the main computer, and a few scorch marks over the floor and alongside the walls. Optimus came through last, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.

Jack was finally home.

"Optimus, you're injured!" The medic bot came towards him in full doctor mode seeing the energon leaking from his shoulder.

"I'll be alright Ratchet." The Prime held up his hand to wave him off, he wanted to check on their friend first. He started to make his way over to where Arcee set Jack down, so his mother could examine him, but his stubborn SIC stood in his way.

"Of course you will be, after I fix you up. Now lie down and let me look at it!" Ratchet insisted.

Optimus knew better than to argue with his medical officer, when he had that tone. He sat on a berth near the corridor, and gazed around at the twisted mess by the bridge, as the rest of his team gathered round to wait their turn for repairs.

"Here, eat this." The red and white mech handed him some energon.

"What happened here, Ratchet?" The Autobot leader asked as he bit into it.

"Hm, what? Oh the projector." He said distractedly, as he was pulled out of his examination, when Optimus pointed to it.

"Projector?" Arcee wondered.

"Aw slag, not the one you made so we could shoot Decepticons while training?" Bulkhead moaned.

"Yes, the very same one, and no, I won't be fixing it now, since it was blasted into scrap." Ratchet confirmed.

"Was anyone hurt?" Optimus asked with concern, clearly recalling Megatron's laser fire passing through his double.

"Fowler hit his head, when he dived for cover, after shots came through the bridge." The medic replied gathering tools to start repairs.

"How is he?" The Autobot leader tried to peer around his SIC at the raised human area by the main computer.

"Sit still." Ratchet ordered pulling him back, "Other than a small concussion and dizziness, he's fine."

"I'll have another slice of cake, mommy." They heard the agent comically say and the medic bot grimaced.

"It's the concussion." He said embarrassed, as Bulkhead and Bumblebee started laughing.

"The projector got slagged and the walls a little scorched, but no one else was hurt." Ratchet spoke over the two giggling bots.

"How is Jack?" Optimus asked apprehensively, June walked over to answer.

"He's tired, and a little dehydrated, but he'll be good as new after he rests." She stated with obvious relief.

Just like that, the tension in the room suddenly dropped as everyone relaxed.

"That is very good news." Optimus breathed, as he stopped fidgeting, and sat still, so Ratchet could properly repair him.

"After I'm done with you, I'll grab the De-melder and get that disruptor off his head, before I examine the others." He said and cursed a little at the damage to the Prime's shoulder.

"I can't believe you fought with an injury like this." The medic shook his head in exasperation, not really surprised, but wishing his leader would have a sense for his own safety once in a while.

"Is it serious?" June asked.

"Seeing as he was hit next to his spark chamber I'd say yes, it's rather serious." The Autobot was beginning to get snippy as he always did when he had patients to fix.

"Lie down." The Prime complied and Ratchet bent over him.

"Will he be alright?" June didn't want the team to lose its leader, not after their success.

"Yes, he'll be alright, as long as he doesn't act like an idiot, over the next few days." The medic growled and gazed at the red and blue mech under his ministrations with a look. Optimus wisely stayed silent.

"So why did you need the projector in the first place?" Arcee interrupted him.

"Ask Rafael, it was his idea." The assembled bots turned to stare at the small genius standing next to Miko and Jack, who lay on a gurney with a blanket covering him.

"I only helped a little." He said modestly, shyly rubbing his head.

"A little? If it weren't for you Jack would still be in Megatron's clutches!" Miko exclaimed.

"Yes, don't sell yourself short, Rafael. You did good, thank-you." June said gratefully and she walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, Ratchet still did most of the work." He looked down sheepishly.

"I seem to recall you doing most of the editing." Ratchet muttered as he grabbed a wrench.

"So, what happened?" Bulkhead wanted to know.

***Flashback***

"I have an idea." Raf began.

"You said that the Impulse Disrupter uses voice commands to control people, right?" Ratchet nodded.

"As long as those orders won't contradict each other. So what?" He wondered

"So, maybe we could fool the disrupter, in believing it's being given a command, by imitating Megatron's voice." The bespectacled boy pitched.

"You think we haven't tried that?" The medic snorted, "When the disrupters were first in use, we tried voice changers, even actual recordings, but nothing worked."

"Why though, and how did you prevent the Decepticons from using them against you?" Raf queried.

"Cybertronians can update their systems to combat external threats that attempt to compromise the well being of their internal systems and processors. So, we simply improved our own firewalls, and gave them functions, to fight off the more vicious, invasive, things our enemies had at the time. It's now standard procedure for any new Autobot to have these defenses already installed." Ratchet stated matter of fact.

"But you, being human, don't have such an ability, making it easy for Megatron to take advantage of you. The Impulse Disrupter then, becomes much harder to remove, as you would need either a portable De-melder, or a way to really fool the senses, because the device gets its input directly from its victims. You'd need to fool not just sound, but sight as well, and I doubt you could get Megatron, of all mechs, to cooperate." He finished curtly.

Rafael thought hard, "Could we take recordings and use one of your holograms to do it?" He looked up at the medic who shook his head.

"That wouldn't work on a Cybertronian, far too many sensors." He closed his optics.

"Uh, but Jack isn't Cybertronian." Ratchet's optics snapped open as Miko finished.

"And humans only have one visual mode." The medic said in dawning realization, "So your senses are easier to trick." Ratchet wanted to hit his helm on the wall.

"Slag it, why didn't I think of this before!"

***End Flashback***

"After that it was a simple matter of contacting Bumblebee for recordings, setting up the projector and uploading it with the proper images for realism, then editing the recordings and other sounds to apply to the image itself, which Rafael did. The rest you know." The red and white mech finished.

"I can't believe it worked too." Arcee commented musingly.

"Jack's weariness must have contributed, otherwise, I don't think it would have." Ratchet stated grimly.

"Impulse Disrupters weren't designed to be easily fooled, they were made by Decepticons after all, Jack is fortunate that our little stunt worked at all." This caused the others to grow quiet in contemplation and thank their stars they were so lucky. They didn't want to think about what might have happened, if they'd had to leave their friend with Megatron a second time. It was just too horrifying.

"So, can a disrupter give humans psionic powers, then, or did Megatron do something to him?" Miko asked seriously. Before the bots, and particularly Arcee, could panic all over again, June spoke up.

"Actually," She began nervously glancing at her son beside her, "Jack has had those abilities for a while."

Everyone, even Optimus, stared at her, then looked at Jack, who was still out of it, before they turned and stared at her again.

"Wait...what?" Bulkhead was the first to break the silence. Behind him Ratchet stood up and gave her a dumbfounded look.

"What do you mean he's had them for a while?" He almost blew a gasket.

June sighed in sadness and sat next to her son and grasped his hand in hers.

"When Jack was seven," She began.

"He had an accident and was in the hospital for five days." The bots were startled by this news as they listened with rapt attention.

"When he came home, he was different. He became quiet, kept to himself, and began sneaking off somewhere. Things would happen around him, too. When he got worked up about something, objects wouldn't be where they were left, things would smolder like they were catching fire. There'd be an unexplained electric charge in the air and whole rooms, when you walked in, would be freezing cold, even if it was ninety-five degrees outside." Jack's mother had a sad wistful expression on her face as she moved her son's bangs out of his eyes.

"My husband and I were worried, we didn't know what was happening, or why Jack seemed to be at the center of it. It got to the point that we'd started fighting, which upset my son. He came to us one night, and showed us his new abilities. To say we were surprised would be an understatement." June was getting tears in her eyes as she continued.

"My husband couldn't handle it, we had a huge row, and he left. I moved Jack and myself away from California and out here to Jasper, for the solitude, to start over." She finished, sniffling a little as she composed herself.

"But, how did Jack learn to control his abilities?" Arcee asked in confusion, "You couldn't have taught him, right?"

"For that matter why haven't we seen anything strange around him?" Ratchet rejoined, "I should've picked up something when I first scanned him."

"Why wouldn't he tell us about this?" Bulkhead wondered. "I mean if he's always had these powers, why didn't he use them to fight off the cons, when they were around?"

"I-" June looked down at her feet, "I made him promise not to use them. I didn't want something to happen to Jack if someone found out. As he got older though, things began to get out of hand and I had to take him to a meditation expert, who could teach him to calm his mind." She wrung her hands in her nurse's coat as she explained.

"Although, I don't know how he got so good at controlling his psionic powers, he must have found a place to use them openly while I was at work." Arcee got an expression of dawning in her eyes.

"The oasis." She said, "He must have gone there to practice and the Decepticon took him when it witnessed his abilities."

"That explains why Megatron was so adamant to use him." Optimus sat up a little on the berth, "He said Jack was special and we didn't know it." He lowered his head.

"Don't beat yourself up Optimus." Ratchet laid a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, I'll bet Jack didn't tell anyone because he didn't want something like this to happen." Raf spoke up

"Could you imagine if we'd known from the beginning, though? He could've given the Decepticons, or, or even MECH what for!" Miko told the small boy passionately, punching her fists at invisible enemies.

"Or they could've taken advantage of him, like Megatron did now." Arcee curb stomped the Japanese girl's enthusiasm while clenching her hand.

The room fell silent again.

"She's right." June said, "Before all of this, I was afraid the government, or some strange doctor, or, or something would take my son from me." She shook her head warding away the illusions of old fears.

"When MECH and that spider dropped the bombshell, it became fears about them stealing Jack from me. I made him promise extra that he wouldn't use his abilities out in the open, after that." She stated with conviction, looking towards the teen in a way only a mother could.

"Man, and here I was thinking we had it bad." Bulkhead said, to no one in particular.

"I still don't understand how we could've missed something like that." Ratchet complained, "I mean a human couldn't just develop new powers without it changing the functions in their brain. Whenever I scanned Jack though, his readings always proved normal."

"You probably did notice it, then." The Darby matriarch told him, "When Jack was in the hospital he had multiple CAT scans and MRIs done. He had some functions in his higher brain areas that the doctors chalked up as part of his recovery."

"Wait, you mean those functioning parts of his mind aren't just a sign of intelligence, as I thought?" The Autobot medic exclaimed. When June confirmed this he cursed.

"Primus, no wonder I didn't notice! Your medical knowledge claimed such activity in the brain wasn't uncommon, so I thought it was normal." If Ratchet were human he would've been pulling out his hair by now, as he paced, having completely forgotten about repairing Optimus.

"Gahh! I can't believe I missed that!" He cried.

"I think Ratchet has finally lost it." Bulkhead stage whispered to Bumblebee. The yellow mech whirred with agreement. Hearing the two of them, joke behind his back, the medic snapped at them.

"Be serious, this is important! Who knows how many other humans might have these abilities. Megatron could take any one of them for his twisted plans." He said and turned back to June.

"You said Jack got hurt and had changed after he recovered, but how did that happen? Where did he get these psionic powers?" He asked.

"I don't know." She said.

"Wha-but, how can you not?" The red and white mech demanded.

"Ratchet, calm down." Optimus ordered, his SIC whirled.

"Oh slag, your shoulder! I apologize Optimus I-"

"Don't worry so much, old friend, a lot has been on all our minds today." The Prime put his officer at ease and gazed back at Jack's mother.

"Please explain, Mrs. Darby." He entreated patiently, as Ratchet returned to his task of repairing him.

"My husband took Jack into the mountains for a hike. I don't know all the details, Jack doesn't like to talk about it, but he slipped on one of the trails and fell into a crevice." She adopted a worried face staring at her son.

"It wasn't very deep, thankfully, but something happened down there. When the rescue squads brought Jack out of it, physically he was fine, but he just wouldn't wake up." June sighed.

"I'm not even sure if he knows the full story, himself." She said unsure.

"If who knows the full story? What story? What did I miss?" Fowler chose that moment to appear, he yawned, then groaned and held his head as he walked over.

"How do you feel, agent?" Optimus asked, optics gazing in examination from where he lay.

"Like a Decepticon's been tap dancing on my brain. What happened to you, Prime?" The dark man wondered as he noticed the Autobot on the repair berth.

"Results from fighting Megatron." He stated simply.

"You mean him being a cheat." Bulkhead snorted derisively.

"It's good to see you up." June said to him from her place beside Jack.

"You guys mind filling me in?" Fowler asked as he looked around.

Optimus observed everyone as the government man was brought up to speed. Each of his team, except for Ratchet, had a few bad scrapes, Bulkhead more dents than the others, but they were relaxed. Arcee had a small smile of contentment on her face, Bumblebee was exchanging friendly conversation with Raf, as the Autobot wrecker stood near showing off his latest battle scars to Miko.

The worry lines that had been on June's face, since that morning, had melted, as she sat next to her son and explained to Fowler everything he'd missed. The agent, for his part, kept getting a growing look of disbelief on his features. As for himself and Ratchet?

"Optimus I need to put you under for this next part." The medic told him. The Prime looked up at him and nodded.

As he went into recharge, the Autobot leader couldn't hold back the surge of compassion he felt, for this small family.

_'For all life is there to be cherished.'_

Primus's words echoed in his spark.

* * *

Somewhere on Earth.

Starscream paced his small hideout in thought. He had just finished reading through the human notebook he stole from the Nemesis and plans were beginning to form in his scheming processor.

"I can't believe, after all this time, those useless flesh creatures were actually capable of something no Cybertronian has ever accomplished!" He snarled in frustration and picked up the book again, paging through it.

"How can a mere child do something the greatest researchers have spent millenia trying to perfect?" He fumbled and dropped the book, its papers bending every which way.

"Blast it! I must know how this has gone unnoticed, if all humans are capable of this-" He cut himself off as he picked up the small notebook and saw that two pages had been stuck together. He carefully pulled them apart and began reading.

"What, what is this?" His optics widened.

"If this is true," He glanced up with an evil smirk.

"I may finally have found the means to get rid of Megatron, and the Autobots, and take my rightful place as ruler of the Decepticons!" He clenched his fist and laughed.

"Soon, I will have all the power I need."


	12. Chapter 11 To Speak Of Past Events

**AN: Took a little vacation to let the rockets cool and let ideas pool. Here's the next installment, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 11

To Speak of Past Events

* * *

It was 8:30 Sunday morning when Jack finally came to.

He woke up bleary eyed and still felt he could sleep for a hundred years, if it weren't for a clamoring headache. What did he do yesterday to earn such a head popper? Wait. It came back to him slowly as he was having trouble focusing. The kidnapping, Megatron, the battle, the Nemesis, it all came back and Jack got an apprehensive feeling. Was he still on the Nemesis as the Decepticon leader's pet? Or...

Jack opened his eyes to the familiar silo and relief flooded him.

He was back in the Autobot base, he was home. The teen couldn't hold the tired smile in if he tried, it was good to be back. He turned his head and saw a peculiar sight. His mother lay asleep on the couch and around her on the floor in sleeping bags were Miko, and Raf. Jack blinked, what were they doing here and what time was it? Shouldn't his mom be at work?

Jack sat up carefully so as not to jar his aching skull. He touched his fingers to his head and was happy to find it free of Megatron's mind control band. The young man gazed around the space that had been carved out of the plateau. Arcee was curled on a berth next to the inner corridor, still in recharge, Bulkhead was sat against a wall not far from her, also asleep and snoring loudly. Bumblebee was leaning into his side equally out of it, Ratchet was no where to be seen, and Optimus was at the base's controls. The only one awake.

"Optimus?"

The tall mech turned at his hoarse call and his optics softened. He padded over quietly and spoke, his voice lowered to not wake the others.

"I am glad to see you up, Jack. How do you feel?" He asked, looking the teen over.

"Like I've been steamrolled." The boy said with a weary grin wincing as he held his head.

"A side effect from removing the Impulse Disruptor. Ratchet said your processor would probably ache for a while." The Prime stated calmly.

"Oh, so that's what it was called." Jack looked down speaking the last part more to himself as he suddenly remembered the things he did as Megatron's slave.

"Optimus, I...I'm sorry." He stared at his hands guiltily, "I let you guys down."

"No apology is necessary, Jackson Darby." The Autobot leader gazed at him compassionately, "What matters is that you are safe now."

"But I lied to you all, I should've told you from the start about my powers." Grey eyes stared into blue optics earnestly.

"No, I understand you needed to keep your secret for protection and I will not blame you for Megatron's crimes. You should not either, Jack." Optimus imparted wisely.

A silence fell as the teen thought about it, the red and blue mech waited patiently.

"I know you're right, Optimus," Jack sighed, "But I can't help feeling guilty. If I didn't have these abilities this never would have happened. I wish I didn't."

"Power is as much a burden as leadership. There is no question, that sometimes, something will go very wrong or mistakes will happen. The loss of good comrades, or being forced to fight one's friends." The Prime began.

The boy gazed at the Autobot leader, at his leader, listening.

"There comes a time, when our responsibilities call us forth to carry burdens we don't want, or wish we could give to someone else. I have come to realize, however, that these burdens are given to us, because we are the only ones who can carry them. Just as I am tasked with the leadership of this team, a position I would not wish upon anyone indefinitely." He finished solemnly.

Jack sat in contemplation, feeling his heart lighten the more he thought. His circumstances, the past events of Saturday, none of these things were things he would want others to experience. He wouldn't want Miko to be forced to hurt Bulkhead, or Raf to keep psionic powers a secret from his family, he never wanted anyone put in that kind of situation. The teen knew that this was what Optimus must feel like, the willingness to shoulder any trial for the sake of others. So, Jack resolved, that he too would gladly carry any burden, if that's what it took. He looked up at the tall mech.

"Thanks, Optimus." He said.

The Prime gave him a small smile of understanding and nodded his head the two sharing in the morning's silence. The moment was interrupted by Miko rolling over and sitting up with a yawn.

"Morning, Optimus, Jack." She said sleepily, then rolled over again to catch a few more Zs.

The two stared at her in amusement and Jack counted down in his head.

_3...2...1..._

"Jack!" Miko sat up with a screech.

Her shout woke the others making them grumble and causing the teen and Prime to wince. Paying no mind to any of this, the excited girl rushed over and tackled him with a hug.

"Ah, Miko, easy!" Jack cried.

She released him and then punched him in the arm and yelled, "You jerk! Why didn't you tell us you had superpowers? Do you have any idea how awesome that is?"

She grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him. By this time the others had woken up and were gathering around while looking on with bewilderment.

"I think you should let him go, Miko, before he barfs all over you." Raf warned, as he watched the scene comically. If Jack were a cartoon, he would've had dizzy swirls in his eyes by now.

"Oh, sorry." Miko said sheepishly as she released him.

"It's okay, just don't do that again." Jack groaned as he held his head and his mother came over.

"Here," She said handing him a couple ibuprofen and a glass of water. She hugged him close once he finished.

"Oh, Jack, are you alright?" His mother asked him.

"I'm okay, mom." He assured her, returning the hug and the two just held onto each other for a moment.

"Shouldn't you be at work, though?" Jack asked as they drew away.

"I called and told them there was an emergency." She stated simply.

"Why did you never tell me you were practicing your abilities?" It was her turn to demand.

"I, uh, didn't think you wanted to be reminded about what happened, I'm sorry." The teen looked down guiltily.

"Next time," June said taking her son's face in her hands, "Next time you go out to practice your kinesis, please don't hide it from me."

Jack stared into his mother's eyes and nodded swallowing a sudden lump in his throat.

"I will, and I'll take Arcee with me." He promised.

"You most certainly will, or I'll ground your butt from here until you graduate, buster." June smirked at him.

"I second that." Arcee stated as she drew close.

Jack swung himself off the gurney and walked over to her. The femme held out a servo, which he grasped, his hand being enveloped gently in her grip.

"Hey." He said simply.

"Hey." She returned.

Something passed between them, an unspoken admission that things were alright and would continue to get better. The psionic teen turned to the others.

"You guys all okay?" Jack asked worriedly as he surveyed his partner and the rest of the Autobots for any lasting damage he may have caused.

"Yeah, you didn't do much, most of it's from the cons, just a few dents and whatnot we'll be fine." Bulkhead reassured him when Bumblebee whirred.

"Bee wants to know if you will be." Raf translated.

Everyone held their breath as Jack looked from one to the other his gaze rested on Optimus before he turned back to the yellow scout.

"You know, I think I will be just fine." He said with a small smile and the tension left the room completely as the young Autobot gave a happy sounding tweet.

"Alright now spill! How'd you get to the Nemesis? What're the Decepticons really like? You got any dirt we can blackmail them with? Well? Spill!" Miko pressed excitedly for info.

Jack backed up at the Japanese teen's rapid fire questions unable to get a sentence in as she spoke all in one breath.

"Woah, woah, Miko calm down! Actually, what are you doing here?" He quickly changed the subject.

Just because he said he'd be fine didn't mean he wanted to talk about the experience right away, it was just way too fast at the moment.

"And I thought Raf was sick, too.?" The young man wondered perplexed.

"Oh, Fowler gave our families one of his spiels and brought us to base, so we wouldn't be kidnapped by Decepticons." Rafael said, shrugging nonchalantly while Miko snorted, "And it was just a stomachache, with all the worry and excitement, I got over it."

"Ha! You should have seen him and Ratchet work like a pair of super geniuses!" The Japanese girl crowed enthusiastically, "They were like, 'if we calibrate this' and 'if we add that' it was awesome! They were so fast!"

Jack was impressed as he listened and soon, with spirited interruptions from the audience, the whole story was explained. It always surprised him how much he and his friends impacted the war. All the small stuff, and his own trip to Cybertron, had really added up to make a difference in the eons old conflict. Now, his friends had even managed to save him from a horrid fate and he wondered how he could repay them for it.

The telling of the happenings at base began to wind down, with everyone paying rapt attention.

"So after Ratchet fixed Optimus, he took you to his lab and brought out this huge medical device, called a De-melder. It had all these wires connecting it to a machine and it made a humming noise when he held it over you. That's when that ring fell off your head and then Arcee took and blasted it to scrap." Miko finished pounding her fist into her palm for emphasis.

"That's great." Jack glanced at his partner gratefully then asked, "Say, where is Ratchet, anyway?"

"He stayed up most of the night on watch so I took over for him early this morning." Optimus said, "I believe he is still recharging."

A beeping at the consul drew his attention and he turned tapping at a few keys.

"What is it, Optimus?" Arcee asked on alert.

"It had better not be cons again!" Bulkhead growled.

"No, agent Fowler is returning." The Autobot leader told them and they relaxed again.

A moment later a black nondescript car rolled into the base and the dark man stepped out with a couple bags of breakfast sandwiches.

"I got food, who wants some?" The government man said jovially while waving a paper sack around.

"Fowler, oh man, you are my favorite agent right now, I'm starving!" Jack exclaimed peering over the railing at the older male.

"Hey Jack, good to see you're looking better this morning." He handed the hungry teen a bag when he reached him and clapped him on the back.

"For having gone through so much in one day, you sure bounce back fast." Fowler said amicably, passing around the rest of the hot food.

"I had some good advice." Jack replied, digging into an egg and sausage biscuit whilst the Autobots joined their human charges with some energon cubes.

The agent glanced at the Prime knowingly, "Good advice is good medicine, my mother used to say."

Smiles were exchanged between everyone, as they laughed and enjoyed each other's company unwinding from the tensions that had gripped them all before. Jack was working on his third biscuit, while Bulkhead and Fowler had somehow gotten into a contest over who had the funniest stories. The green Autobot was just relating a prank he and his fellow wreckers once pulled, on a group of Eradicons, while buzzed up on some high grade, when Ratchet wearily walked in.

"I hope that isn't about the time you and your buddies pretended to be Decepticon officers and made those soldiers act out Monitor Pythagoras's 'Iacon Fairy' sketch." The medic said with exasperation.

The kids giggled and tried not to choke on their food while the adults raised their eyebrows in amusement.

"Don't you mean Monty Python's 'Military Fairy' sketch?" Fowler asked bemused, causing Bulkhead to look at him incredulously.

"You mean you have one here, too?" He wondered bewildered.

"Oh, Primus, no. I could never stand those skits on Cybertron. I don't need to hear it again, Earthling style." Ratchet moaned in irritation as Arcee handed him some energon.

"You seem extra cranky today." She stated pleasantly as he took the cube.

"Recharge cycle was a little rough, I'll be fine." The red and white bot replied curtly and looked at Jack.

"How's your head feeling?" He spoke with his doctor voice.

The teen polished off the last of his breakfast before addressing the medic.

"It hurt a bit earlier but it's fine now." He said honestly.

"You haven't tried using your psionic abilities today, have you?" Ratchet inquired, while scanning the young man carefully for signs of residual pain.

"No, not with a headache." Jack winced, "I did that once when I was practicing, not a good idea."

"I'd imagine so." The medic hummed distractedly.

"The activity in your mind seems to have calmed from the strain it was put under, but I'd wait two hours before you try anything, and nothing strenuous." He ordered.

"Aw, I wanted to see you blow something up!" Miko pouted.

"Nobody is blowing up anything! The last thing I need is something else to break around here." Ratchet sniffed indignantly.

"And from now on, Jack, I don't want you to use your kinesis powers without supervision." June jumped in with, sternly.

"But mom-" Jack started.

"No buts, I know I can't keep you from practicing, so consider this as consequences for not telling me before about what you were doing out in the desert." His mother had that look on her face so the teen just sighed but didn't argue.

"So, how did you become psionic, anyway?" Raf wondered curiously and everyone trained their ears and audios towards Jack.

"Er, mom you didn't tell them?" The boy nervously asked his mother.

"Only what I knew. You know I don't know how you got them, you never wanted to talk about it." June told her son.

"Oh."

The young man shifted, suddenly feeling restless, realizing he would have to explain, but would they believe him?

"Well, son? What happened in those mountains?" Fowler questioned.

"Okay," The dark haired teen took a breath wondering where to start, "You know that I was hiking with my dad right?"

When they nodded Jack began his story.

***Flashback***

Young seven year old Jack and his father had just finished picking up their campsite. They were in the Yosemite National Forest for a week long hike through the back trails of the woods, just the two of them. The young boy was excited to spend time with his father and they were already three days into the trip, seeing as much as they could, and he'd learned so much.

"Right. You have all your gear now? We won't be coming back if you left something." Jack's father addressed his son.

The child carefully went over his checklist of gear that he had made himself, with a little help from his mother, before nodding vigorously.

"Yep! I didn't forget anything." Jack said proudly.

"Your swiss knife?" His father pressed.

"Front jacket pocket with the flint." The boy patted the spot.

"Camera?"

"Fanny pack with extra batteries." He tapped the small satchel on his belt in confirmation.

"Flashlight?"

"Same place as the camera."

"A change of underwear?"

"Dad!" Jack cried indignantly causing the elder man to crack up.

"Kidding, just kidding!" His father held up his hands while laughing, "You're sure you have it all, though?"

"Yes!" The seven year old rolled his eyes.

"Okay then, recite the safety rules, for me." The elder male requested.

"Always check where you step and sit for scorpions, snakes, and other stuff." The boy began, "Don't go anywhere without telling you and always keep each other in sight. Use flashlights and whistles. Drink lots of water. Stay on the trail and use a map. Watch for bad weather. Never look a bear in the eye or go near its cubs. Don't stick your hand into something if you don't know what's inside."

Jack's father winced, "Alright, you can stop there, son."

"You started it." The child stated impishly, trying to keep from giggling, as his dad tugged a glove up higher on his hand over the scratches, from a squirrel he'd disturbed, while grabbing some wild nuts.

"If you don't get moving, we'll never see the end of this trail before you finish joking." The man said ruefully, "I swear you're just like your mother."

Jack stuck his tongue out at him and the two chuckled then headed out. They spent the day talking, the older male taught the younger about all the different things they saw such as the massive sequoia trees, the rivers, animals and all other wonders to see. They passed by the most beautiful scenery; Tall snow capped mountains, forested valleys, and roaring waterfalls.

The two were having such a good time that before they knew it the morning had passed by and it was 2:30 PM. Jack and his father stopped on a mountain side to eat. They had a cliff to their backs and its side continued to slope down in front of them below the trail, too steep to walk down safely, but not a sheer drop like other areas. In front of them was the most amazing view that young Jack had ever laid eyes on.

"Just look at that sight, son." His father said to him with wonder, "As if the whole world laid at your feet and this mountain were your castle. Just amazing."

"Will it ever get old?" The boy asked equally marveling at the scene.

"No, never does. Things that humbling don't ever do. It's why I love coming up here."

The two sat in contented silence feasting on their trail mix and some jerky, the real meal would come later.

"I'm proud of you, Jack. You're really handling this trip well." The seven year old's father looked at his son with inward pride, his boy was growing up so fast!

"Thanks, dad." Jack felt his own emotions well up.

For what more needed to be said?

"Well, shall we get back to it?" The man inquired as he stood up.

The younger male nodded getting to his feet and dusting himself off. The two walked fifty yards along the path as it wound around when it suddenly narrowed.

"Careful here, it looks a bit rough ahead. Use your hiking poles when you step." His elder warned.

They traveled fine for twenty yards when the unthinkable happened.

Jack was three feet behind his father as the trail began sloping upward. It was a bit muddy, from moisture in the higher elevation, so the child dug his stick in, to gain purchase, and heave himself forward. The pole broke just as he lifted his other foot and rod to step. The sudden weight caused the boy to slip and, with a yelp, fall backwards, then he rolled until he tumbled over the trail, and continued sliding down the slope.

"Jack!" He heard his father scream, but the boy was too busy yelling himself while he slid on his back unable to stop himself. With a final scream, he fell into an opening in the mountain that he couldn't see from the trail and landed hard on the ground, blacking out. He groaned as he came to a moment later.

The child sat up dizzily and looked around. The sun's light was just shining into the place enough for him to see. The crack he'd fallen through wasn't very wide but it opened up into a good sized cavern tall enough for a person to fit a garbage truck inside and it appeared to branch off into the gloom. Jack got his flashlight out and shined it about curiously.

The cave lit up dimly with thousands of tiny crystals reflecting the light from the thin beam and in spite of himself Jack was awed. The cavern grew more massive the further from the entrance it went with tunnels stretching long and out of sight. Stalagmites and stalactites were everywhere in fantastic formations. Near the back, from where he could see, was what appeared to be strange symbols scratched on the wall.

Jack got to his feet carefully and looked up at the crevice he entered through. He knew he should stay in one place, if he wanted someone to find him, and his dad should've called for help by now on his emergency radio, but he really wanted to check out those carvings. So the boy set his backpack down, in a spot where a person would see it, and cautiously made his way over to the furthest wall. He would still be in the same room, and it wasn't going to take him very long, he was just looking!

The boy approached the wall his flashlight darting over the symbols. They were odd, all straight lines and barely curving, they started at a man's height and stretched over that by ten more feet with gaps in between them. Jack gazed up at the weird writings.

_'Definitely not Native American.'_ He thought and got out his camera to snap a picture.

A flash and click later, Jack stored his small camera back in its case and turned about to go back by his pack and wait, when something caught in the beam of his light. He trained the ray fully upon it. Nestled beside a pillar, not five feet from him, was a human skeleton. It was all ragged clothed, jaw hanging open, and looked like it was reaching for him.

The sight so startled him, that Jack jumped back into the wall behind him. Something flashed, there was a loud whir, and the boy knew no more until he awoke in a hospital five days later.

***End Flashback***

"...and you all know the rest after that." Jack finished.

His audience sat in silence as his story sank in.

"That's it?" Miko sounded disappointed, "A flash and a whir, and boom, you get superpowers?"

"That's what happened. You were expecting a radioactive spider bite?" The young man raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well no, that's why it's Spiderman's shtick, but I was hoping it would be a bit more exciting than a 'flash and a whir'." The Japanese girl stated sarcastically while making quotation signs in the air.

"Not everything has to be exciting, Miko." Jack rolled his eyes at the other teen.

"Do you remember anything else?" Fowler asked having at some point gotten out a small notepad to record a few details.

"It's been a while, so it's all a little fuzzy, I think the wall, the writing was scratched on, may have had a different color." The boy squinted his eyes as though that would help him see the memory more clearly.

"Hm, these symbols have you ever seen them since?" Ratchet inquired thoughtfully.

The teen hesitated thinking hard.

"I don't think so." Jack said unsure.

"It's really hard to remember for some reason." He didn't see the medic exchanging glances with Optimus.

"Well, what about that photo you took?" Bulkhead reminded him.

"I, uh, lost it when we moved." The boy apologetically stated then his face lit up, "But I did draw them in my notebook."

"And, what notebook is this?" Ratchet pressed and the teen blinked.

"I, er, kept notes on my progress when I first discovered my abilities. It...was with me when I went to practice yesterday." Jack looked over at Arcee.

"I didn't find a notebook. All that was there was your backpack and a lot of burnt metal." His partner told him.

The group stared around at each other knowingly.

"Uh, oh." Bulkhead voiced what everyone was thinking.

Jack sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Great." He breathed.

"If Megatron has it this means bad news." Arcee stated seriously.

Bumblebee blipped and whistled.

"He asked if it was brown with a snap on the cover." Raf translated the yellow scout's speech.

"You've seen it?" Jack stood up his face alight with hope.

Raf listened as his partner made more electronic whirs, "He said that Starscream may have run off with it when he flew away."

There was a beat, then...

"Scrap, that's even worse!" Ratchet exclaimed.

"Great, just what we need! A con in high heels wandering around with who knows what kind of information." Fowler threw up his hands exasperated, "I'm getting too old for this!"

"So Starscream has Jack's notebook, but how do we know Megatron hasn't already read it?" Raf asked apprehensively.

"Oh, don't jinx us, Raf!" Miko cried.

"So, what's the plan, Optimus?" Arcee deferred to the tall mech and suddenly everyone's attention turned to the Autobot leader.

"Ratchet, what are the odds of Starscream or the Decepticons locating these symbols?" The Prime questioned his SIC.

"My guess? As they don't know the planet too well, that would depend on how much Jack described in his notebook, and how determined they are to find it. Megatron has the manpower and more resources to search the area, but Starscream would take longer and require energon." The medic stated.

"Yeah, but the slagger's already got a head start!" Bulkhead pointed out.

"I only mentioned Yosemite and the general area, but not the exact coordinates or trail name." Jack spoke up.

"We may have time to catch up with him then." Arcee interjected.

"Yosemite is a pretty big place, a popular visitor hiking spot, lots of ground to cover and folks to hide from." Fowler jumped in informatively, "I may not be able to get you bots the cover you need if you go in."

"We cannot risk the chance of one of the Decepticons finding that cavern, for whatever lies within, it could be turned against both our peoples." Optimus said.

"Then We'll go!" Miko declared indicating herself and the other kids.

"No!" June cried.

"Mom-" Jack started.

"No, Jack!" June cut him off sternly.

"You just went through an ordeal and need rest. Miko, your supposed to be grounded young lady, and Raf, you just got over a stomachache you can't go hiking in the mountains or you'll get sick again!" She told each of the kids.

"I would listen to her, it would be best if you all remained here, especially you Jack. If there's a chance of Decepticon activity they won't hesitate to recapture you for their leader." Arcee added.

"But I'm the only one who knows where that cavern is," The young man pushed.

"Besides, I want to know what it was that gave me these powers." He tried to persuade.

"Jack..." His mother began.

"Please mom, I need to do this." He pleaded stopping her from her lecture.

"But you don't! You're not risking yourself for the entire planet, this isn't like last time!" June argued.

"Sure, the planet may not be in danger, but this time it's personal! I can't just sit by and let the cons get their hands on something that could turn other people into what I am! I'm going!" Jack loudly declared.

"And I am your mother, as such you are staying here, mister!" The Darby matriarch cried heatedly.

"No, mom, I'm sorry, but I have to go." Her son was firm.

"No you don't!"

By this point, everyone else was observing the drama like a tennis match, which was just starting to turn awkward.

"Yes I do! Don't you want to know what ruined our lives? What turned me into a freak and made dad leave?" Jack yelled.

"You are not a freak! You are my son, and I don't want you to disappear like he did!" A stunned pause followed her emotional admission.

Very awkward.

"Is that what this is about?"

Silence...

"Jack, I'm sorry." June sighed.

"We both are." The teen stated feeling hurt.

That's when their audience decided to discretely backpedal out of sight leaving mother and son to work out their problems.

"You know, I thought moving to Jasper would help us start over, to forget the past." June began sadly, "I didn't imagine we'd ever discuss it like this."

"Mom I," Jack ran his hand through his hair, "I know it hurt when he left but it wasn't your fault-"

"Don't, Jack, don't you dare think for one second it was yours." His mother curtailed his sentence.

"Then you see why I need this? I need to understand, mom, to know how it happened so I don't have to blame myself!" The young man strongly declared.

June stared at her son and shook her head.

"When did you grow to be so mature?" She wondered.

Jack smiled sadly at her.

"Someone has to be. It's an insane asylum around here otherwise." He joked and his mother chuckled.

"You're not helping by ruining the moment." She looked at him wearily feeling much older than she appeared.

"I really have to do this, mom." The dark haired teen said.

June sighed heavily, "I know."

"So, I can go?" Jack asked to be certain as he felt the anticipation build up.

"Yes. BUT, I want you to promise me that if any of the Decepticons show up you won't fight them unless you have to. No charging in to save the day, understood?" His mother demanded.

"I swear to you I won't draw unnecessary attention to myself. I'll stick to the mission and nothing else." He held up three fingers in a sign, "Scout's honor."

"Good enough." June rolled her eyes and embraced her son.

"Uh, is it safe to come in now?" Bulkhead poked his head around the wall of the corridor.

The two Darbys broke apart and stared up at the green mech a little embarrassed. Jack looked at his mother sheepishly and shrugged.

"Yeah, uh, you can have your command base back, now."

"Finally, a fine time you two picked to have a human melodrama!" Ratchet snarked as he passed them on his way to the mainframe, the others filing in after him.

"We good to go partner?" Arcee asked.

"You bet!" The teen pumped his fist excitedly.

"Aw man, there you go again! Why is it you get all the action?" Miko demanded jealously, Jack just rubbed his head awkwardly.

"There's going to be a chance of bad weather, so be careful out there." Raf informed, while looking up from his computer at a climate site for the park.

"Thanks, I'll keep my eyes open." The older boy said gratefully.

"So what's our game plan, Prime? You going with us?" Fowler questioned causing Jack to glance at him in surprise.

"Woah, us? As in you're coming with?" He blinked.

"Yeah, you guys will need all the help you can get." The agent stated.

"Um, aren't you over dressed for a wilderness romp." The teen surveyed the office suit the darker man was wearing.

"Already taken care of. You could use a change of gear yourself."

The agent strode over to his car and opened the trunk. He pulled out two light backpacks, side satchels, mountain climate wear, ropes, and harnesses for climbing, along with a pair of radio headsets, as the others gaped.

"I had this stuff sent for yesterday, after your mother told us your experience happened in the mountains. I figured it'd be a good idea to be prepared." The man stated smugly.

"Er, right." Jack couldn't think of anything else to say to that.

"Perks of the job, kid." The man shrugged.

"If we're all finished with the delays I'd like to see this trip underway sometime today!" Ratchet piped with further irritation.

Optimus nodded and turned to the dark haired teen.

"Can you recall as exact a location as possible?" The young man was thoughtful.

"Panorama Trail, we were on the Panorama at the time, but I don't know precisely where." He said.

Ratchet punched in some information and soon had results.

"Most scenic trail in Yosemite approximately eight miles long." The medic guffawed, "We'll have the place searched in no time!"

"Huh, yeah, this'll be easy!" Bulkhead clunked his cannons together.

"I wouldn't be so sure. It's a lot of off road country." Raf said studying the map closely.

"All the more reason for Bulkhead to go! Right Bulk?" Miko shouted up to her favorite Autobot wrecker.

"Better not." Fowler interrupted, "That's primarily a hiking trail, park managers would be all over someone for bringing in even off road vehicles, and it's popular, there's a good chance of more people being on the path."

"Agent Fowler is correct. Without precise coordinates we cannot risk traveling out in the open even in vehicular mode." The Prime pensively told them.

"But they shouldn't go alone, right?" June was concerned.

"Optimus, let one of us go with them at the very least." Arcee tried as well.

"We do not know how remote the location will be and the risk of being seen by other humans has always been of concern. We do not want to drag any other innocent lives into our war." The leader was firm on his position.

Neither the femme or Jack's mother liked the idea of letting their charge go off on a dangerous mission without protection. The others weren't so enthusiastic either.

"Hey look at it this way, to anyone watching we'll be just a couple of regular guys on the trail, we'll blend right in." Fowler persuaded.

"You will be careful." June said.

The agent placed his hand on the teen's shoulder, "Mrs. Darby, you have my word that I'll keep an eye on your son."

"We'll be alright, mom." Jack re-enforced and his mother nodded.

Arcee kneeled down in front of them.

"The minute you get into trouble call us, I'll come running." She said fiercely.

"Definitely."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright, if you two would go get ready, I'll fire up the bridge when you get back." Ratchet told them.

It didn't take long for Jack and Fowler to change into some mountain friendly clothing in the bathroom. They got their gear suited up, having everything they might need for the short trip and, slinging their packs onto their shoulders, headed back to the ground bridge. The two stood in front of the gate as it opened and the agent looked at the young man beside him.

"Looks like it's just you and me, kid." The dark man stated, "You ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be." The teen replied.

"Good answer."

They turned back to their friends behind them as Optimus stepped forward.

"You both know your protocols?"

"Yeah, we go in, locate the site, and call you for con smashing." The older male confirmed tapping his headset.

"Jack, special agent Fowler," The Prime looked from one to the other, "I wish you both the best of luck."

The two men nodded, waved, then turned and walked through the gate. Their friends watched, having only one thought in their minds.

'_God speed, and Primus go with them.'_

* * *

Somewhere near Yosemite in an underground base...

A man with blond hair and a scar on his face stood before a large bank of computer monitors. Around him, men in masks and uniforms went about their business, carrying weapons or datapads, while others stood guard or awaited orders. The room they gathered in was dim, there were hints of other people working at stations with various displays, most seemed to be mechanical specs of some kind.

A notice appeared on the monitor suddenly and the soldier manning it brought up the results.

"Sir, we're receiving readings of Cybertronian activity in the park, it's one of their gateways." The unidentified man glanced at his leader.

"Get a lock on those coordinates and send out the alert to move out." Commander Silas ordered.

"I won't let this opportunity slip through M.E.C.H.'s fingers."

* * *

**AN: I have never been to Yosemite in any capacity. So, any information that is inaccurate in this chapter, or how many after it that the park is mentioned, I apologize and humbly request you all to blame my ignorance. Also I decided to leave the naming of Jack's father up to the reader's imaginations. Thank you.**

**Sayla**


	13. Chapter 12 Yosundheit

**AN: Okay now I'm just procrastinating -_-; Anyway, chapter title is a spoof on the German word Gesundheit, which is frequently used like 'God bless you' when a person sneezes. For that is what this chapter is, one giant sneeze. It's about to get messy people.**

* * *

Chapter 12

Yosundheit

* * *

"I swear I'll never get used to that!"

Fowler and Jack had just stepped out of the ground bridge, near the start of the Panorama Trail, in Yosemite National Forest, California. The trail was already living up to its name, as they stood before a backdrop of trees and snow covered mountains. The air was warm, but markedly cooler than the desert at this time of day, it was only just a little past noon. There were also clouds hanging low and threatening rain at any time.

The two men were further back in the forest and could see the path before them, there was no one in sight.

"Where is everybody?" The agent wondered looking around, knowing there should be other people about so near the start of the trail.

Jack walked forwards and saw the sign that marked where the path began and noted that there were yellow hazard posts on either side of the way.

"Looks like the path is closed, probably because of the weather." He said.

"Right, we'll need to exercise caution through here, then, don't need either of us walking home with a cast." Fowler warned and reached for his headset.

"This is agent Fowler to base, come in base. Do you copy?" The comm crackled, then came to life.

"Go ahead agent, we're reading you loud and clear." Ratchet's voice came over.

"We've arrived at our destination, safe and sound." The government man informed assuring the ones listening that there was no trouble, yet.

"What's it like over there?" That was Raf from one of the smaller terminals asking.

"Like a vacation postcard." Fowler stated sarcastically and Jack rolled his eyes.

"The view is nice, and it's a little cooler than at home. Maybe we could come up here some other time when we're not busy." The teen suggested.

"Any danger?" Came the question from the medic.

"Weather's threatening to drop buckets of rain on our heads, the path's clear of people, and there's some hazard signs around, but no appearances from any cons yet." The agent continued to survey the landscape.

"Can we bridge to your location?" Arcee demanded.

"Negative." The dark man denied, "Hazard signs won't keep the more adventurous hikers out, and we're too near the trail starting point, so there's bound to be somebody else around."

"Alright, keep us updated, and watch for Starscream, he can be especially unpredictable. If the weather makes things difficult, call us and we'll take over the search." Ratchet advised.

"Will do, Fowler out." The line clicked off.

"Well, shall we get this trip over with? I'd like to get there before the cons do." The agent turned to the teen beside him.

"Yeah, let's go." Jack nodded and set off down the trail with the darker man flanking him.

"You sure you'll recognize the place when we find it? We don't have enough supplies to be out here for too long." Fowler asked all professional.

"Trust me, I'll know it." The teen replied with certainty, "I just hope what we're looking for is still there after all this time."

"You and me both." The older man agreed.

The two walked for some ways before they ran into their first bit of trouble. As the path crested a hill, they saw a park official heading in their direction, while herding a small family back to the entrance of the Panorama.

"Uh oh." Jack muttered, as the ranger caught them in his sights. If they were stopped here it'd be hard to explain how they got into the park, especially without a park pass.

"Relax, and let me do the talking." Fowler instructed, as they drew close.

"I really don't see why taking a few pictures would do any harm. We don't plan to be out here long and we have a permit!" The wife of the family was arguing.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Witwicky, but standard procedure clearly states that no one is allowed on the path with the weather this threatening." The official stated.

"Now really!"

"Ah, Judy, dear," Her husband cut her off, "He's just doing his job, calm down."

"Ronald, we came all this way, we may not get another opportunity, and I won't leave without something to show for it!" The woman, Judy, turned her frustration on her husband.

"Mom, just let it go! There'll be other things to take pictures of, you can always photoshop a postcard if you have to." The mother's son told her.

"Now you know better than that, Sam Witwicky. No sacrifice, no victory!" Ronald admonished.

It was amazing how well acoustics carried across the space between the two parties, as Fowler and Jack heard this exchange, before the park ranger addressed them.

"Hold it you two. This path is closed until further notice." The official cut them off and Fowler straightened himself to his full height.

"I am special agent William Fowler, of the United States secret service. This is my associate Mr. Smith." He said importantly flashing his badge, "We are on a mission to locate a very dangerous man. A political mass murderer escaped not two days ago from prison, we believe he has been seen somewhere in this area, he is armed and will kill anyone, and I do mean anyone, who gets in his way."

As he was speaking the faces of the people in front of them were growing increasingly pale.

"Oh, God. Ron, let's go now!" Judy pushed, panicky.

"Hold on, honey." Her husband soothed, "What do you want us to do, sir?" He asked the agent.

"I need you to do as your wife says and get yourself and your family out of the area, ASAP!" Turning to the park official Fowler demanded, "As for you...what's your name?"

"Bob." The ranger bit out shakily.

"Bob, right." The dark man pulled out a card from an inside pocket of his jacket.

"I need you, Bob, to get in contact with park management and have them call this number." He handed the card over, "Tell them to drop my name and state that you have a code BC under section Alpha. Think you can remember all of that?"

"Yes, sir!" Bob the ranger confirmed and quickly ushered the Witwickys down the trail.

Throughout all of this, Jack was watching with the utmost fascination, while trying to keep a smirk of amusement off his face, as the agent skillfully wove his deception. However, as soon as the four were out of sight and earshot he couldn't help but ask.

"BC?" The teen turned to the man beside him wondering.

"Bot/Con." Fowler clarified.

"Oh, I thought it might have meant something else." The boy mused.

"Stands for bull crap, too." The agent stated with a completely straight face.

Jack just lost it then, and his laughter echoed over the valley.

* * *

On board the Nemesis...

Soundwave stood before the Decepticon leader on the command deck walkway. An audio stream, from the Autobot communications line, had just finished playing across his visor. Megatron listened with rapt attention his red optics gleaming.

"Hm, what could the Autobots possibly be searching for so soon after our last encounter?" The warlord pondered with frustration as the rest of his officers observed from their places by the command entrance.

"I find it even more surprising that they let that former pet of yours do the searching, with only that agent around to protect him." Knockout brought up.

"Yes, you would think they'd be reluctant to let the little human out of their sight, with how protective they normally are." Airachnid commented beside him.

Megatron growled and gazed at them menacingly, shutting them up, while at the same time giving the idea thought. He paced back and forth across the deck.

"The Autobot Ratchet mentioned Starscream, clearly they are expecting his presence, but the location doesn't make sense, unless..." The silver mech trailed off and turned back to his communications officer.

"Soundwave, bring up the background information on the human, Jackson Darby." He ordered.

Information scrolled across the spy's monitor and displayed itself across the main screen. There was a government file and photo, with pages of documents. It mentioned all the boy's general stats, background education, family members, and where he lived...as well as used to live. Megatron's optics narrowed.

"Ah, I see it now." He mused to himself.

"My lord, as interesting as this information is, why exactly is it important?" Airachnid questioned silkily.

"Yesterday, while you were so busy imitating a scrap pile, Starscream dared to steal a vital document from my quarters. A human notebook that had contained information, recorded by my pet himself, about his powers. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to peruse the book myself, but it seems my traitorous former second in command has done the work for me." He informed them.

"And the boy used to live where those coordinates are, ooh, I get it now." Knockout said in realization.

"Someone care to share?" The spider femme requested looking between her fellow Decepticons.

"Lord Megatron is saying that both the human youngling and Starscream being in the same area is no coincidence. Whatever Screamer found in the book, most likely pertains to how the boy got his abilities, and that something is what the Autoobots are searching for." Breakdown, who had been silent, filled her in.

"Yes, it was an oversight on my part that I was not more curious about the human's powers. I will not make that mistake again!" Megatron declared.

"My Lord, allow me to hunt them. I'll follow them to the device and ensure it is collected for your use, I'll even bring your pet back if you wish." Airachnid offered.

Megatron scrutinized her, knowing how full of treachery the femme could be. He had not forgotten her attempted coup when he was fighting Unicron.

"Very well, Airachnid. Take some Decepticons to accompany you." The warlord ordered.

"I work best alone. On a mission such as this they'd only be in the way." The spider stated scornfully.

"Then you may do as you wish, Airachnid. Do not disappoint me, and if you could retrieve Starscream as well, I may decide to reward you further. I have yet to repay that seeker for his trespassing." The femme bowed to her leader, and as soon as she left the deck, Meagatron turned to Soundwave.

"Follow her and see to it she does not destroy our plans. For if I'm right, there is only one device with that kind of power and it could easily upset the balance of this war, in the proper hands." The silver mech chuckled darkly.

Yes, and he would use that power to destroy the Autobots once and for all!

* * *

Starscream dragged himself from the close confines of the rocky crag he'd been searching and cursed.

"Slag! How many crevices are there in this pit spawned place?" He exclaimed as he pulled an old tent support rod out of one of his joints.

"Grr, you'd think these pathetic flesh creatures would be more thorough keeping their little nature getaways clean. Bah!" He tossed the rod away and then transformed and cruised over the scenery muttering to himself.

"I've been out here for hours, searching through more crevices serving as garbage dumps than I can take. Where is that blasted device? If I weren't low on energon I'd blast this stupid reserve until it burned!" The silver jet growled to himself as he scanned the ground.

"If that human had put the slightest bit more detail in his book, I would have been done long before now. I could have already thrown Megatron and those wretched Autobots on the scrap pile, and still had time to conquer this planet!" He complained and was just working himself up into a good rant when a signal came over his meager scanners.

"What the-" If he'd had optics in his jet mode they would have blinked as he tried to comprehend what he was detecting.

"Someone is targeting me? Me? How dare they!" Almost as soon as he finished, a bright beam launched into the sky and nearly clipped him, causing him to roll over with a yelp in surprise.

"Oho, and they're very accurate, too!" He wailed and dodged as a salvo of energy was launched at him.

He banked right, then left, and in all kinds of crazy directions. Anyone watching the spectacle would have been wondering why they were seeing a jet doing cartwheels, and whether the pilot had had one too many beers. He managed to survive, as the proverbial duck in the hunt, until one laser struck him in his stabilizers, sending him spiraling out of control, and he crashed loudly to the ground.

He transformed back into his natural form as he bounced along and spat dirt out of his mouth after he'd stopped skidding. He laid there a few seconds to collect himself, before sitting up to see the damage and felt pain travel through him. It was mostly surface damage from the laser's scouring, more painful than deadly. Fortunately for him he hadn't been too high, so had escaped the crash mostly unscathed, but unless he could repair it he wouldn't be flying anytime soon.

"Scrap! Why is it me who always gets shot?" Starscream wondered as he exclaimed, bemoaning the misfortunes that routinely befell him ever since he left the Decepticons.

"I should have never left the Nemesis!" He cried then shook his helm in horror, "What am I saying?"

He heard the sound of vehicles approaching through the trees their engines causing more fright for the seeker than relief.

"The Autobots! I must get away!" He panicked.

The silver mech stood up and ran off in a random direction away from the noise of fuel burning through pistons. He ducked around trees and crashed through the underbrush, upsetting some wildlife, as he disappeared from the scene. A moment later, MECH drove up in their all terrain heavy armor trucks and formed a perimeter, while some choppers flew overhead.

Silas stood up in one vehicle as his men efficiently checked the area.

"Sir, we've found bits of scorched metal, scanners confirm, we definitely hit one of them." An armored soldier informed him. The leader of MECH scanned the surroundings and saw the crushed bushes their quarry had stepped on.

"Hm, but not hard enough to knock you out, eh?" The scarred man mused to himself then addressed the rest of his troops.

"Maintain pursuit of our target, choppers scout ahead and locate him, let's move out!" He ordered.

They raced after the fleeing Cybertronian.

* * *

Jack and Fowler made their way steadily along the Panorama.

After their encounter with the Witwickys and Bob the ranger, the trail remained blessedly clear, but for one or two tents tucked out of sight. The agent helpfully sent their owners on their way with the same story of an escaped mass murderer. Ah, the wonders of government props and good acting.

They'd been on the trail for four hours, arriving at a more rocky landscape, and the sky was still threatening that rain, but being stubborn to release it. The journey was mostly silent with a few scattered conversations, as the tension continued to build, and Jack was beginning to get that feeling of foreboding again.

"So, what was the deal with that skeleton you encountered, did anyone tell you?" Fowler interrupted his thoughts.

"Um, I did ask, when a park ranger came by, after I awoke. He said that they believed it was some case back in the 90s where they never found a hiker who got lost. They weren't positive what killed him though, because he still had some old containers of food." The teen explained.

"What about the symbols? Didn't the rangers notice them when they rescued you?" The dark man wondered curiously.

"They said there was nothing on the wall when they found me. That's why I wonder if it's still there." The younger man stated worriedly.

"Great, if I find out we're out here on a wild goose chase, then somebody behind the red tape is going to get a whole lot of it shoved up their-"

"What was that!" Jack exclaimed cutting off the agent's diatribe.

Something had screamed like a missile and then boomed in the distance. The next second, flocks of birds took off from their perches and scattered, frightened. The two men stopped to listen in the following silence. A few small rocks fell from above them and Jack glanced up, and though he didn't see anything, he got the distinct impression they were being watched.

"I think we better keep moving." Fowler said lowly anxious as he discretely scanned the terrain.

"Yeah, let's go." The teen agreed nervously looking around warily.

"Hey, wait a second..." Jack trailed off as he spotted a particular stack of boulders.

"You spot something?" The agent asked and slowly reached into his coat for a sidearm he brought with, ready to draw it at the first sign of trouble.

"I recognize this place." The young man double checked the environment before nodding, "Yeah, we're not far now."

"Alright, then I'll get the bots on the line, I'd rather not handle this without backup." The dark man reached for his headset when something slammed into him and pinned him to the ground.

"Fowler!" Jack shouted alarmed before he was pinned in the same manner.

The two struggled with the sticky webbing that held them as Airachnid revealed herself from where she was stalking them and loomed over her catches.

"I'm afraid I can't have either of you calling the Autobots and spoiling my plans." She tore off their radios, their only communications with the base, and crushed them.

"Airachnid!" Jack snarled and the enemy femme glanced at him.

"Hello, Jack." She smirked at him.

"I regret I hadn't the chance to play with you back on the Nemesis, but I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for that later, after I retrieve the device." The spider ran a sharp claw down his cheek threateningly and the teen fought to repress the shiver that followed.

"Hey con!" Fowler shouted drawing the Decepticon's attention, "How about you stuff it and kiss my aft!"

Airachnid laughed at him, "How amusing, such spirit in a helpless creature."

"Oh yeah!" The agent struggled with his bonds, "Let me up and I'll show you why us humans could kick your rusted tin can from here to Timbuktu!"

While Fowler distracted the femme, Jack worked at his own bindings, but couldn't reach the pocket with his swiss knife. He wanted to palm his face a moment later as an idea came to him.

_'Smooth, Jack, real smooth. Do you have powers or don't you? I can break out easily just have to concentrate!'_

Ice began to freeze the webbing, drying it out, until it cracked. Airachnid, by this point, was becoming irritated with Fowler and had moved to strike him, when she heard something shatter behind her. She looked back and saw Jack stand to his feet, her broken webbing falling to the ground. The teen had snow swirling around him as he glared at her.

"Stay away from my friends!" He growled.

Airachnid hissed and moved to pounce on the ticked off human when he unleashed a huge wave of ice. The cold element enveloped the spider femme and froze her into a solid block, temporarily immobilized. Jack breathed out and hurried to the agent's side, whipping out his knife, to cut the webbing still holding him in place.

Fowler whistled, "When your mother said you had power she wasn't kidding!" He exclaimed and the teen blushed embarrassed.

"We should hurry, that won't hold her for long." The boy avoided the subject.

Indeed, there was already an ominous creaking from the ice block as the Decepticon struggled inside.

"Don't need to tell me twice!" The man stated as he took the younger male's hand and got to his feet.

A crack appeared and spread over the icy surface to the horror of the two humans.

"Run!" They both shouted and turned tail to flee as the block shattered behind them.

"You'll pay for that!" They heard Airachnid screech, but didn't stop to look as they rushed down the trail, the sound of the femme's many limbs scrabbling over the rocks chasing them.

The two men ran as the path sloped downward into a small valley studded with boulders. Jack was snapping off crackling lightning while Fowler fired his sidearm when the Decepticon came too close. They ducked and dodged her webbing and jumped when she fired the occasional blaster bolt at them.

The agent tackled the teen to the ground behind a rock, protecting him, when a bolt passed by the space they just vacated, nearly striking them.

"We have to find some way to contact Optimus!" Fowler yelled over the roar of the blaster's discharge as he covered their heads from raining shrapnel.

"Yeah, but how? She scrapped our radios!" Jack shouted back.

He could see the wheels in the agent's head turning, as he tried to think of a plan, when silence fell.

"Come now, Jack, let's not play this game again." Airachnid spoke beyond their shelter.

"I'll go easy on you and the agent if you surrender." The two stayed silent not daring to move.

"You have until I count to three to come out...before I come and get you." The spider threatened and the men glanced at each other.

"One..." There was seductive amusement in her voice.

"Two..." They held their breaths as they heard her approaching.

"Three-"

Suddenly, the sounds of several helicopters broke the quiet air, cutting off Airachnid's countdown and distracting her as she turned to the noise. Jack and Fowler looked at each other before getting into a crouch and peering over the boulder. In the distance, where trees and brush shaded the valley floor, choppers flew overhead in a pursuit pattern. Below, the bushes rustled as something big moved through them, and a moment later, Starscream tore out of them like scraplets were after him. He skidded to a halt as he spotted his fellow Decepticon and the two stared at one another.

"Airachnid?" The seeker exclaimed with surprise.

"Starscream?" The femme blinked at him.

"What are you doing here!?" They both demanded and pointed their weapons at the other.

"I am on a mission for Lord Megatron." The spider stated haughtily, "Which I might add includes your capture."

"Oh, really? Well, tell him I'm a little busy at the moment trying to find ways to destroy him!" The silver mech replied sarcastically.

Airachnid glanced at the approaching helicopters, "It seems more like you're busy running from a pack of humans." She chuckled and Starscream's wings twitched in annoyance.

"That is...it's not...you try dealing with them when the vermin are armed and swarming everywhere!" The seeker shouted defensively.

The femme fired at a chopper that flew too close. It dodged, but was clipped on the rudder, destabilizing it, and it spun out of control. The aircraft crashed to the ground, but was undamaged enough that the pilot and his passengers could escape and take cover among the rocks. The other helos retreated to a safer distance.

The Decepticon femme smirked at her gaping counterpart.

"You were saying?" She mocked.

Starscream was about to let loose with a scathing remark when a few dozen armored vehicles crashed through the trees behind him and fired on the two cons. They shot rounds that were much more painful than the usual bee stings that humans typically used and, overwhelmed, the Cybertronians ducked behind shelter.

The sounds of blaster bolts joined in the cacophony of armor piercing sabot shells as the humans drove behind rocks to better protect their vehicles. Several disembarked and spread out into positions around what was quickly becoming a fierce battlefield. Soon the choppers returned to release their missiles and the explosions made the ground tremble.

Throughout all this, Fowler kept Jack's head down and protected the boy with his own body, as bullets whizzed over them and dirt rained down, from the fight raging around them. The teen curled under him instinctively, with fright, never having been involved so closely with such a massive shoot out before.

The agent took stock of their surroundings and saw where they could get better cover, and he dragged the young man with him, and they crawled quickly, but carefully, to safety. He deposited the boy among the pile of boulders before pulling himself in, just in time to avoid being shot full of lead. From where they were now situated, the two had cover from all sides and could see much of the battle, if they dared to glance out of their shelter.

"This is crazy!" Jack cried as he looked out and Fowler forced him back.

"Stay down, you'll get your head blown off like that!" He ordered then he scooted until his eye could see around the corner and quickly pulled back as he assessed the fight.

"Scrap, it's MECH! We'll get chewed to pieces out there, unless we can contact the bots!" The agent smacked a fist into the rock against his back in frustration.

"Frag it! I should've called for extra gear!" He shouted berating himself.

"Do we have anything at all we can use?" Jack asked.

"No, I only stocked us with water, food, and standard hiking tools, other than our climbing gear, that's all we got. We're SOL, we don't even have a tent!" The dark man exclaimed, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"SOL?" The teen wondered.

"Scrap out of luck." The government agent told him.

"What about MECH, can we use their radios?" The young man tried.

Outside, the fire fight grew more intense and there was a particular whistling sound that was getting closer by the second.

"Get down!" Fowler screamed and he grabbed Jack and flung them both to the ground.

There was a flash of light very near their shelter, as the elder covered the boy, then a large boom, followed by an intense heat. The two carefully raised their heads after it passed and Jack found his hair was a bit singed. He heard cursing from the agent beside him as though from far away and realized his ears were ringing.

"Jack, are you okay?" The older man touched his shoulder.

"Yeah, just a little shaken up." The teen reassured him.

"Don't blame you, that was too close." The agent peered out of hiding for a split second and ducked back in when bullets ricocheted off the rock.

"F-frag it!" The agent quickly checked his language knowing the teen's mother would kill him, and she would find out, mother's were scary like that.

"At this rate, they'll tear each other apart and us with them! We can't move from here without getting blown to bits!" He yelled over the roaring guns.

"It can't get any worse can it?" Jack pointed out.

The next moment, Fowler was glaring at him as the sky finally opened up with the sound of thunder and rain began pouring down, drenching them, and making the ground a miserable muddy mess.

"You just had to say it!" He pulled his hood up in exasperation and looked out again.

"I can barely see in this soup." The agent reported.

"What if we try for the chopper using the rain and the rocks as cover? We could use it's radio to call the base." The teen suggested.

"Still won't do us any good. One, we can still get hit by stray shots and these jackets don't give us any kind of protection. Two, Silas's men are more likely to shoot us first and ask questions later in all this chaos. And three, we have no idea if the chopper's radio is still working!" The dark man ticked off the flaws in that plan on his fingers.

"There has to be a way!" Jack was now beginning to get frustrated himself as he realized how pinned down they were.

Fowler moved to the other side of their shelter and leaned out, scanning MECH's resources through the gloom and spotted some vehicles, that were clustered closer together, in a horseshoe pattern at the rear of the battle. It was surrounded on three sides by supportive units, two on either slope and a line in front. The chopper Airachnid had downed earlier sat behind them further up the incline, leaning on a rock of its own. He motioned Jack beside him and the teen crawled next to him while keeping his head down.

He pointed out the vehicles, "That's likely where they've got extra supplies. There any chance you could float some to us?"

"Without a way to tell what I'm grabbing?" The boy shook his head.

The agent turned and rifled through his pack and brought out a pair of high powered military issue binoculars. Jack gazed at them in awe, as he noticed they came with more features than the civilian pair he had at home, and shifted through his own bag to find a matching pair.

"Use the thermal sight, you won't see anything with night vision." Fowler instructed.

With the use of their specs the two scanned MECH's vehicles for anything useful. The agent could just make out some soldiers dragging out a box with what looked like spare armor.

"See the truck by the one on the left, near the center?" He nudged the teen beside him who turned his glasses that direction.

"Got it." The boy confirmed.

"They're loaded with spare armor, nab some." The dark man ordered.

Jack stretched his hand out, focusing, and Fowler saw the box the soldiers just dragged out snap shut and fly up in the air, startling them, before it flew to where the two men hid. It landed beside them with a squelch sinking slightly in the mud. The agent pulled it in, as they drew back into shelter, and opened it. Two full armored suits lay with an extra three incomplete ones.

"Nice of them to include helmets, even." Fowler commented as he lifted one out and handed it to Jack.

"I'll say this, I never thought I'd be glad to have MECH around." The young man joked.

"You and me both." The agent agreed.

The two switched out of their jackets and heavy jeans exchanging them for the more protective gear and helmets, but kept their boots and packs. They stowed the rest back in the box and looked at each other. Jack thought they looked rather ridiculous, and he could see that Fowler shared his sentiments, as his suit was too large on him while the agent's was too tight round the middle.

"It's a good thing its raining, we stick out like a pair of ninja at a tea party." The teen said with a wry laugh.

"A ninja wouldn't be seen." The government man pointed out.

"But, never mind that." He turned and stared out at the chopper.

Gunfire was still flying and blaster bolts lit up the field to their right, the chopper lay to their front, but at the angle they sat they'd have to skirt around the battlefield's perimeter in order to reach it. The agent checked the clip in his sidearm, and the three extra with him, before he stared at his companion seriously.

"Alright, this is what we'll do. I'll take point and you'll follow. You stay behind me inside of cover and when I give you the signal to move. you move, if I signal you to stay, you stay. Got it?" Fowler gazed into Jack's eyes, which filled with fear as he understood what they would be attempting, until the teen swallowed and nodded.

"When we get to the chopper you get to the radio and see if you can raise the bots." He set his hand on the young man's shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry, I've got your back."

"O-okay." Jack stated nervously, as he tried to force the apprehension in his gut down, he couldn't afford to hesitate here.

Fowler nodded and turned to glance out of their shelter until he saw his opportunity to move.

"Wait here." He ordered and then rushed out and ducked behind another boulder.

He stayed there, until there was a lull in the fight and then motioned with his hand and Jack joined him shortly after, running out of hiding with his head low. The two continued in this way as they steadily moved around the battle.

MECH soldiers were firing their high powered rifles and anti-tank guns, at Starscream and Airachnid, while helicopters circled around them, cutting loose with mounted chain guns and missiles. Occasionally, there was a discharge of electricity and laser fire, from some weapons mounted on the vehicles and aircraft, that Jack had never seen before. Clearly their forces were more prepared for the Cybertronians this time.

The two cons, meanwhile, had joined up and were working together. Starscream must have been low on energon for he was avoiding using his blaster, except to fire at one of the copters, while swiping at soldiers that came too close, before ducking back into cover. He leaped out at one cluster of goons, and swept them into the air, before the rest trained their weapons on him and blasted the seeker, who dove back behind shelter.

Airachnid fired her webbing and blasters, and transformed into her own chopper mode and chased down the ones flying around. She hit one and it crashed to the ground in a fiery blaze, causing MECH soldiers to scatter everywhere to avoid being caught beneath the falling wreck and the explosion, as its gas tank blew. She took pot shots at the scurrying men, chuckling in amusement, until the other copters ganged up on her, firing their electric generators, and she was forced to the ground again.

It was a small war stuffed into the narrow valley.

Every sound, from the thunder overhead to human cries, made Jack flinch, jumpy, as he followed Fowler to their destination. The rain made their boots sink into the mud and the terrain slick, more than once, causing them both to stumble. Ahead of him, the teen saw the agent slip falling onto his back in the open, when a laser beam cut through the space he just stood in, and Jack felt his heart catch in his throat from the near miss. Fowler quickly scrambled for cover and the boy could see him breathing heavily at his own brush with death.

_'That was too close.'_ Jack thought as he caught his own breath.

The older man gathered himself before signaling for the teen to move. They drew closer to MECH's central vehicles, as soon as they swung around them they'd have a clear shot at the chopper. It sat diagonally from their position a little higher on the slope, largely ignored. The dark man saw where the mountain trail continued above the downed bird and had a sudden thought.

"How far are we from the device?" Fowler asked as soon as Jack joined him.

"Just up the mountain about half a mile." The psionic teen replied.

The agent glanced at the path and saw how it wound around out of sight, it was a bit more exposed than he liked.

"Okay, we'll wait after we call the bots before we tackle it, however, if for any reason something goes wrong, I want you to take off. Head up the trail, until you find the spot and sit tight, but if you've got pursuers keep going. The last thing we want is the cons, or worse, MECH getting their hands on whatever the thing is." He told the young man seriously.

Jack nodded, "Right."

Fowler turned back towards the helicopter and the trucks that stood in their way. There was no viable shelter between them and the vehicles, and the units to their left flanking the forces made going that direction ill advised. If they wanted to get to their goal they'd have to run straight through the firing zone.

"Get ready, we'll have to sprint to the ATVs, use them for cover, then sneak around for the chopper." He said.

"Wait, what? You want us to run through that!?" Jack blanched as he gestured to the currant firestorm taking place in front of them.

"It's our only chance, just stay by my side and you'll be fine." The teen swallowed heart pounding.

"A-alright." He shakily agreed and they both tensed on the balls of their feet ready to rush out into danger.

"Now!"

They ran.

It was like one of those slow motion scenes out of a movie. Jack's senses sharpened as adrenaline pumped through his veins and for a second he could see everything with a clarity that was startling.

Soldiers fired their guns, the bullets slicing through the air all around, leaving trails of smoke behind them. He saw one ATV on the front line get sliced in half by Airachnid, the two pieces, plus its former passengers, were tossed every which way as the truck exploded. A laser, fired from another on their left, streamed over their heads and hit Starscream who cried out in pain before raising his blaster and shooting at it. The shot struck a weapons cache and both the car and the soldiers positioned with it were thrown into the air. The truck sailed over them, then fell to the ground in a flaming ball, as if hellfire had fallen to the earth, as the seeker gloated triumphantly over his kill.

And then, time sped up and Jack and the agent were sprinting through the mud, jumping over small stones, in an effort to reach the relative safety of MECH's armored trucks. They aimed for the side of the outer most vehicle and made it without being noticed, the discharge of its electric weapon loud in their ears, then moved to the next one. They could hear the soldiers shouting to each other and Silas screaming into his radio as they came closer to the center. Then they were beside the car in the middle of the pattern and that's when things started to go wrong.

Jack and Fowler were thrown forward off their feet as an enormous blast swept over them. The momentum carried them into the side of the central truck just a few feet in front of them with a thump. They looked back, as the two recovered their senses, the ATV they had just left had been blown to so much scrap after an accurate shot from Airachnid struck its weapons payload, adding force behind the explosion.

"All weapons fire on that spider bot, bring her down!" They heard Silas order above them and saw the Decepticon femme get pummeled in a wave of explosive vengeance while Starscream decided to cut his losses and run.

"You two!" They looked up, and saw MECH's leader pointing at them, and stiffened.

"Grab some Raytheon launchers and get suppressive fire on that robot." He commanded not yet having recognized them and Jack and Fowler glanced at each other.

"Now soldiers!" Silas yelled impatiently, glaring at them.

"New contact, incoming!" Someone screamed before the two disguised men could move.

All three men whirled just in time to see another chopper get its tail blown off and spin out of control. A small blue drone reminiscent of a Star Wars X-Wing zoomed passed as a larger spy drone transformed and landed behind MECH's defensive lines. It was Soundwave.

"All units, stop that machine!"

The rogue organization moved desperately to obey their leader's orders as the Deception spy began tearing up their forces. The silent mech grabbed nearby vehicles and soldiers and threw them into distant units. He drew out his arm blade and gutted an ATV as his partner, Laserbeak, took on the aerial craft confusing their fire. While Soundwave distracted Silas, Fowler motioned the teen beside him to start moving.

"Come on, this is getting out of hand, fast." He stated and headed for the chopper.

Jack followed after the agent, but couldn't help glancing back.

From out of the rain and smoke, high in the air, a flaming pile of debris was about to crush him!

* * *

**AN: A little less mind power and more gun blazing action, here.**


End file.
